See what happened when footy legends revealed what they REALLY think of James Hooper just before the NRL reporter lost his job for an alleged drunken car crash
The comments were made on the latest episode of the BTFU podcast, which was published on Wednesday, July 30, one day before Hooper, 47, was sacked by Fox Sports after he had allegedly been charged by police over a drink driving offence.
On Thursday, July 31, New South Wales Police responded to a call in Leichhardt shortly before 7.30pm after members of the public had reported that a vehicle had collided with multiple parked cars.
Hooper had allegedly been driving his ute when it had made contact with the parked cars.
The 47-year-old was alleged to have been driving five times over the legal drink-drive limit, with police alleging he recorded a result of 0.253 when tested for alcohol.
A police statement said Hooper was 'charged with driving with high range PCA and not giving particulars to the owner of the damaged property [three counts].'
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by BTFU Sport (@btfu.com.au)
Hooper has now been issued with a court attendance notice, requiring him to appear before Downing Local Court on Monday, September 15, 2025.
The News Corp scribe has since broken his silence on the matter, admitting he was dealing with some personal issues and added that the incident was a wake-up call for him.
But prior to the incident, both Anasta and Tallis praised the journalist for his work.
'Hoops [James Hooper] is a good man,' Anasta, said on the BTFU Podcast.
Tallis replied: 'Hoops is mate.
'To work with Hoops, to see how loyal he is - the best thing about Hoops is the stories that he doesn't write.
'I think every journo has a lot of those stories...'
Anasta, who made a combined 288 NRL appearances for the Bulldogs, Roosters and Tigers, agreed.
'He gets a lot of those stories and he holds them back,' Anasta explained.
'The Buzzes [Phil Rothfield] and Weidlers [Danny Weidler] would all admit it, and Chammas [Michael Chammas]... They push the boundaries and that's why they're up in lights and have those big back pagers every week.
'Hoops, he wants to protect and look after everyone but still write the story. He picks and chooses. But he looks after people.'
Hooper has now been released by Fox Sports with immediate effect after the charges against him came to light.
Fox Sports managing director Steve Crawley said: 'James has been a great contributor since he joined us in 2016, but he's also battled some significant personal issues from time to time.
'In speaking to him today, James also acknowledges that things need to change for him.'
Hooper had worked as a columnist and a reporter for The Daily Telegraph prior to joining up with Fox.
He'd feature on shows including NRL 360 and commentate on matches.
He told News Corp that he would be seeking professional treatment following the incident on Thursday.
'I've let the game of rugby league, my employers, my wife and kids down terribly,' he told News Corp.
'Clearly, I'm not handling the tough side of the job.
'Hopefully, this is the punch between the eyes that will set me straight.'
During the podcast, Tallis and Anasta also lifted the lid on the preparation work that the NRL 360 journalists do prior to the show.
They spoke on how Phil 'Buzz' Rothfield works, lauding him for his news gathering abilities.
'The journos say that he knows what story is going to run the best out of anyone and that he knows what people want to read,' Tallis said on Rothfield.
'I think he's an old crocodile. No matter how much you feed him, he'll bite you in the end.
'He's entertaining and he knows what people want. Everywhere I go, people are like: 'Leave Buzz alone.' And then when you see him, it starts, and he just sits there and he's like: 'Braith, hold on a minute, let me finish'.
'And he's very talented.'
They also went on to speak about Paul Crawley, who also works for News Corp.
'Love Crawls, love Crawls,' Tallis said.
Anasta added: 'He does more prep than anyone for our show. Our producer will ring him and he'll know everything about every game and he'll have an opinion on all of them.
'He gives us so much content and he's strong.'
Tallis, who also enjoyed a glittering career in the NRL with St George and Brisbane, went on to add: 'If Paul Crawley ever wrote anything about you in his career, you couldn't challenge it.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
24 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Top judge accused of showing child abuse material to uni students during class is granted extraordinary wish in court
A former judge accused of sharing child abuse content with law students will head overseas on a European holiday while on bail. Former Fair Work Commission senior deputy president Justice Alan Boulton, 74, has been charged over material allegedly displayed in the last 15 minutes of a lecture at Monash University's Melbourne CBD campus on February 5. The university referred the matter to Victoria Police, which seized multiple electronic devices during a raid on Boulton's inner-city Middle Park home a week later. He has since been charged with one count of possessing child abuse material as a Commonwealth offence and two counts of possessing child abuse material following a 'lengthy' investigation by detectives. Boulton appeared in the Melbourne Magistrates' Court on Thursday via video link where his lawyer asked Magistrate Brett Sonnet to make an exception to the near-standard bail condition for alleged sex offenders. The application to allow Boulton to travel overseas was hotly disputed by prosecutors acting for the Crown. But Boulton's lawyer argued her client had spent a large sum of money on his international getaway. Under strict bail conditions being sought by police, he was asked to hand over his passport and not attend any international points of departure. Boulton had been charged by way of summons on July 31. 'My instructor has been upfront with the informant and police throughout the entirety of this investigation and provided them on July 23 with information about Mr Boulton's future trip,' his lawyer argued. 'No issue was taken with that. On that basis he booked the trip. A serious amount of money has been spent on that trip.' The court heard police had been provided with Boulton's flight details and his itinerary. His lawyer argued Boulton had travelled overseas in May while under investigation by police and had returned to Australia without absconding. In making his decision, Mr Sonnet accepted Boulton had no prior criminal history and had otherwise no issues with police while on bail. 'Madam prosecutor, I'm not persuaded that I should impose (those conditions),' Mr Sonnet said. The prosecution continued to argue the point without success. LIFE AND TIMES OF ACCUSED JUDGE Boulton's career in law and the public sector spans more than 45 years, in both Australia and overseas. The University of Sydney graduate first worked as a solicitor and then a lecturer at Canberra's Australian National University. In 1979, Boulton was appointed as the first legal officer for the Australian Council of Trade Unions by then-president Bob Hawke, who became Prime Minister several years later. He also had a stint with the International Labour Organisation in the Philippines, Indonesia and Timor-Leste, where he helped draft modern labour laws and addressed the HIV/AIDS epidemic. At the Fair Work Commission, Boulton first served as deputy president 1989–93 and then as senior deputy president until 2015. He also previously served as president of the Industrial Relations Commission of Victoria Boulton was appointed as an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in 2002 for 'distinguished service to industrial arbitration and labour relations'. 'The accused did return from an overseas trip earlier this year,' the prosecutor said. 'At the time of the investigation it was still an investigation. Charges hadn't been laid at that occasion' Mr Sonnet - the brother of career criminal Sean Sonnet, who was the former lieutenant of gangland boss Carl Williams - said he further took into account Boulton's age in coming to his decision. 'In my view, the first three conditions are appropriate in all the circumstances. The application to impose (those other conditions) is refused by the court,' he said. Those three conditions relate to Boulton's living arrangements while in Victoria and for him not to contact any prosecution witnesses. Police have until September 18 to supply the court its brief of evidence against Boulton, who will not be required to return to court again until late November. Boulton had been a senior fellow of the Faculty of Law at Monash University, regarded as one of Australia's most prestigious universities and ranked among the top 50 worldwide. He was immediately suspended and removed from all teaching duties following the alleged incident. 'Monash University was made aware of concerns relating to an incident in February 2025, and referred the matter to Victoria Police,' a spokesperson told Daily Mail. A student who attended the human rights lecture has since recalled his shock as the alleged incident unfolded. 'You don't obviously expect when you're in class to see something like that,' he told Seven News. 'I had one female friend in the class who was quite disturbed by what they'd seen. 'You don't come into a learning environment with a teacher, a chief examiner and expect to come into that situation.
The Guardian
24 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Academic allowed to visit Europe while on bail for allegedly showing child abuse images during university lecture
An ex-Fair Work Commission deputy president accused of showing child abuse images during a university lecture has been permitted to fly to Europe while on bail. Former Monash University lecturer Alan Boulton, 74, faced the Melbourne magistrates court on Thursday after being charged with three child abuse material offences. Police allege he 'inadvertently displayed' inappropriate images during a university lecture on 5 February. The incident was reported to police, who began an investigation and interviewed him at his Middle Park home a week later. Electronic devices were seized and police also travelled to NSW where they searched a second property in Sydney on 13 February and took more devices. Sign up: AU Breaking News email Boulton was charged on 31 July with three counts of possessing child abuse material, including one commonwealth offence. He was placed on bail at the court on Thursday, where he appeared via video link wearing a dark grey suit and tie. Prosecutors tried to impose a bail condition preventing Boulton from travelling overseas and surrender his passport. However his lawyer Holly Baxter asked for him to be permitted to go to Europe on a 'business trip'. She said Boulton had provided prosecutors with details on his flights and itinerary on 23 July. 'No issue was taken with that, on that basis he booked the trip,' Baxter told the court. 'A serious amount of money has been spent on that trip.' The defence lawyer said Boulton had travelled overseas in May while under investigation and returned home, and he had no criminal history. Sign up to Breaking News Australia Get the most important news as it breaks after newsletter promotion Magistrate Brett Sonnet refused the prosecution's attempt to impose travel restrictions, permitting Boulton to visit Europe. His bail conditions include that he cannot contact prosecution witnesses, is permitted to reside at two residential addresses, and must notify police within 24 hours of a change of address. Boulton is due to return to the court on 7 November for a committal mention. The 74-year-old is a former Australian Council of Trade Unions lawyer and was appointed deputy president of the Fair Work Commission in 1989. He became the commission's senior deputy president in 1993, where he served until 2015. A Monash University spokesperson said the allegations were 'very serious' but declined to comment further while the matter was before the courts. 'The safety and wellbeing of our students and staff is our highest priority.'
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Wally Lewis reveals footy legend Sam Backo's final wish before he died aged 64
Rugby league great Sam Backo's dying wish was to pass away on the country where he was born in far north Queensland, NRL Immortal Wally Lewis has revealed. The former Raiders, Broncos, Queensland and Kangaroos star lost his battle with a bacterial infection last Sunday, aged 64. He died surrounded by family in hospital in his home town of Cairns, with Lewis and his fellow Broncos and Maroons great Gene Miles visiting their former teammate shortly before he passed. 'He'd been battling for a number of months and he was still in a great mood,' Lewis told Channel Nine. 'Geno [Miles] and I got the opportunity to go along and visit Sam, say g'day to him, and he seemed like he was in great spirits. 'He was battling all the way through, and sadly lost his fight for life. Backo's fellow footy legend, Wally Lewis (pictured with wife Lynda) paid him a visit shortly before he died from a bacterial infection 'He really needed to be in his homeland, though, when he wanted to go. 'He said to his wife, "Get me out of here. If I'm gonna pass away, I'm gonna want to die in an area where I'm gonna feel very comfortable", and it was a very moving moment.' Lewis has fond memories of playing with Backo, whose stellar play in the forward pack earned him the nickname 'Slammin' Sam'. 'He was always fun to be around, the guys used to say, except for dinner time,' Lewis joked. 'He was just a great guy, very funny man as well.' Backo enjoyed a glittering career at the top of the game during the '80s, and was hailed for his work away from the footy pitch as an advocate for Indigenous Australians. He was named one of the greatest Aboriginal players of the 20th century and notably became the first Australian forward to score tries in all three Tests of an Ashes series, in 1988. During his international career, the former prop forward also won six caps for the Kangaroos and represented Queensland on seven occasions, helping lift the Maroons to victories during the 1988 and 1989 series. The former Queensland star had been diagnosed with melioidosis in April and had spent some time in an intensive care unit in Cairns Hospital. Backo, who also had a heart condition, had been transferred to a hospital in Brisbane to have a pacemaker inserted in July. Reports from some outlets claimed that the former prop believed he had caught the illness following a swim in a Freshwater Creek at Goomboora Park in Cairns. Melioidosis is an infectious disease that is caused by bacteria lurking in soil or dirty water. The illness is treated with antibiotics and symptoms can include fevers, headaches or trouble breathing. The illness has killed 35 people in Queensland so far this year. Backo's sisters Dolores, Charmaene, Kathrine and Jewel said in a statement: 'He was also a strong fighter for his people, the Warrgamay people and the South Sea Islander community, descended from Ni-Vanuatu and Solomon Islander people kidnapped as slave labour for the Queensland and NSW sugar industry. 'He was a man with a huge generosity of spirit and was always thinking of others. 'Even as he lay in the Cairns Hospital's intensive care unit, he made sure he sent a message of condolence to the family of a friend who had just passed. 'Just one example of the measure of the man.'
