League: Fishmonger, butcher 'gutted' for diehard club fans

The Mad Butcher says the public conflict is hurting the club.

The butcher and the fishmonger are unhappy.

Two of the Warriors' most diehard fans have expressed dismay at the saga embroiling the club following the departure of coach Matt Elliott on Monday.

Peter Leitch, aka the Mad Butcher, and Bob Lovett, owner of Remuera Fisheries, have taken aim at different targets within the Warriors following Saturday's 37-6 thrashing at Cronulla.

Warriors co-owner Owen Glenn has publicly questioned the club's assertion that Elliott resigned, saying he was not consulted on the decision to sack the coach.

In a statement, Glenn said: "I want to repeat my charge that Matt Elliot has been treated less than honourably, and that continues to rankle with me because, as I said yesterday, he is a decent and honourable person."

Leitch said he was hurt by Glenn's comments.

"There was no need to air that in public," he said. "That should have been done in the boardroom, one on one. He's slapped all of us fans in the face, and I'm gutted. I'm devastated.

"I'm not a happy butcher, to be fair. I'm a very sad butcher. I've had some wonderful feedback from fans who are just gobsmacked by what he has done to our club, the people."

Lovett said the saga was a "turning point" for him.

Lovett's commitment to the club was sealed at their inaugural game. Work commitments had kept him from attending the match, so he arranged to have a life-sized cardboard cut-out of himself placed in a seat at Mt Smart Stadium.

Lovett pointed the finger at the Warriors' management for the club's poor showing on and off the field.

"[Chief executive Wayne Scurrah] has got to stand up and be accountable.

"I don't know the man personally, but he's not in touch with the baseline fan like me, I don't care a damn what anybody says.

"Cull from the top and you'll get it right. You've got to get someone with a passion for the game."

Lovett said he had "grave doubts" about whether he would be attending the Warriors game against the Bulldogs at Eden Park this weekend, citing the saga as one reason.

Nick Edlin is a journalism student at AUT. This story first appeared in Te Waha Nui.