HeadQuarters Viaduct owner Leo Molloy. Photo / Norrie Montgomery
HeadQuarters Viaduct owner Leo Molloy. Photo / Norrie Montgomery
Rowdy league fans will be red-carded from a swanky Auckland waterfront bar tonight by its owner still fuming at damage caused by "mongrel scum" during the opening State of Origin clash.
HeadQuarters Viaduct owner Leo Molloy branded league fans "mongrel scum and vandals" and described league as a "bogan game" after the damage earlier this month, and has renewed his attacks on supporters of the 13-man code ahead of tonight's second clash.
Fans wearing Queensland replica gear had vandalised a photo wall of fame in the toilets at the venue during Game 1 – including ripping framed photos of Victoria Cross winner Willie Apiata and UFC fighter Conor McGregor from the wall.
"There is a pattern of behaviour with [some] league-affiliated, league-associated fans and [some] players. It is unfortunate that there is an element and we just don't strike it with the rugby players," Molloy told the Herald on Sunday.
"There is a demarcation line in New Zealand between league supporters and rugby supporters."
As New South Wales and Queensland prepare to play in tonight's Game 2 in Sydney, Molloy said he was still fuming at the damage caused at his swanky and popular waterfront venue.
Headquarters bar in Auckland's Viaduct Basin. Photo / Jason Oxenham
He blamed it on "a few individuals who claimed to be supporting Queensland and didn't understand or didn't know how to behave themselves".
But he was more cutting in an earlier social media post after the damage, writing: "Last night we had dozens of requests to play some bogan game of criminals and sons of criminals in cane toad purple v criminals and other tattooed bogans in blue.
"And of course we did the right thing and turned the volume up, which in turn caused our beloved regulars to leave ... and then the low-life league-following scum decided to behave just as they look.
"Don't ever ask again you dogs, you vandals and you abusers. I'll go repair the damage you did and I'll learn my lesson once and for all
"If you want decent people at HQ support rugby, if you want mongrel scum and vandals support league."
Molloy said he stood by the sentiments of his initial social media post, which has since been removed from HeadQuarters' Facebook page.
He was unsure if he would play the match tonight, and if it was broadcast the commentary would not be heard – adding he believed the fact the sound was turned on had contributed to the earlier poor behaviour.
If the match was broadcast, any league fans misbehaving would be instantly shown the door.
"It [what happened during Game 1] is really disappointing and makes you reluctant to do it again because you just know you can't trust that type of person," Molloy said.
"It is a male-dominated audience and the testosterone is pumping, they have got their tribal behaviour going on and they just don't fit with ... the identity of the establishment."
Former Kiwis and Canberra Raiders league star Dean Lonergan hit back at Molloy's criticism of the league community.
He said Molloy was wrong to tar the entire league community on the basis of a handful of troublemakers - who he doubted were true league fans.
"My good friend Leo Molloy can be very excitable from time to time," Lonergan said.
"After 40 to 50 years within the rugby league community, I can say they are very good-natured and working-class citizens who should be welcomed in every bar.
"I would suggest the people who caused problems had nothing to do with the rugby league community. It sounds like they had an ale or two too many and have then caused the damage."
