Aussie Hollywood actor Brendan Cowell has taken a swipe at former Prime Minister Scott Morrison over his former role as the Sharks’ No. 1 ticket holder.
Morrison last month denied reports he had been pushed out by the NRL club.
The 55-year-old was given the honorary title while serving as treasurer in 2016 but in a statement last month revealed he’d told Sharks chief executive Dino Mezzatesta he would hand the title of Cronulla’s “No. 1 ticket holder” back.
It was an awkward exit for Morrison when the news of his departure was announced over the loudspeakers at the club’s first home game of the 2024 NRL season at PointsBet Stadium.
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Morrison was in attendance at the game and spectators at the ground said it was awkward when no replacement was announced and no applause came from the crowd.
It’s why Cowell’s new clip is another hit for Morrison in The Shire.
Cowell has been a life-long Sharks fanatic and has regularly featured in NRL promotions.
In a light-hearted interview, Cowell said Morrison had “pretended” to be a rugby league fan all along.
The Avatar: The Way of Water star said on SEN Breakfast on Wednesday he was one of many that “bought” Morrison’s so-called act.
“Morrison’s gone. He did it at the ground. They made an announcement saying he’s stepping down as No.1 ticket holder. And there was a very, what you would call anticlimactic response to that announcement,” he said.
“It was just a hubbub with a bit of ‘oh really, oh well’. We won’t miss him whipping his scarf around his head like no-one ever does in rugby league, you know what I mean.
“He did it well. He pretended very well that he was a rugby league guy. I bought it. I think he did the same thing with being a Prime Minister. I think he did a great job of convincing everyone of that as well. I don’t know which one he did better.”
Cowell said he was also at the game when Morrison’s departure was announced and light-heartedly joked he’s upset the club has not handed the title to himself.
“I turned around to the manager at the Sharks and I said, ‘Dino (Mezzatesta), I’m in a collared shirt, should we just go on the field and do it? I look good. We could just do the announcement right now’ and he burst out laughing,” Cowell said.
The 47-year-old appeared on the radio show to discuss his latest rugby league project — a TV series based off his rugby league book Plum.
The six-part drama series, which is expected to feature on the ABC next year, features rugby league legends Andrew Johns, Paul Gallen, James Graham and Mark Carroll — and Aussie star Asher Keddie.
Meanwhile, Morrison has continued to deny a report in The Sunday Telegraph that he “jumped before he was pushed” by sections of the Cronulla Sharks board of directors.
The Newspaper reported some Cronulla powerbrokers were relieved about Morrison vacating the position.
However, Morrision said he will continue to attend game and will be cheering just as loud.
“You know what, I’ve stepped back from politics and public life,” he said on 2GB radio.
“I’ll still be going to the games and I’ll still be cheering just as loud. I was singing the song proudly last night.
“But I just thought if I’m stepping down from public life then I should step down from these sorts of roles and they can give it to someone new.”
The former Liberal leader announced earlier this year he would be taking on a new role as vice-chair of security firm American Global Strategies after leaving parliament.
Morrison will also take up a position as strategic adviser to asset management firm DYNE, a role he will perform alongside former US secretary of state Mike Pompeo.
The southern Sydney native has been a longtime supporter of the Sharks and even made reference to their theme song in his farewell speech to parliament, stating: “And, as always – up, up Cronulla.”
Source Agencies
