Rugby League Legend Caught Up In Ugly Magic Round Brawl Between Fans

By Lisa Solinareos

Manly Sea Eagles legend Owen Cunningham has opened up after finding himself in the thick of an ugly brawl during the NRL’s Magic Round.

In a number of videos posted on Twitter, the 55-year-old can be seen involved in the fight with several other fans at Suncorp Stadium before security finally intervened.

Cunningham recently underwent shoulder surgery and is wearing a sling in the clips, as he appears to be trying to protect his face during the ordeal.

Many NRL fans were quick to condemn the actions of those involved and questioned why security did not act quicker before the fight eventually escalated into an all-out brawl.

Cunningham has now detailed the incident, telling Wide World of Sports' 4BC radio that the scuffle was initiated by a group of men after they began attacking one of his sons.

"My son was sitting in front of us with his girlfriend," Cunningham said.

"They ended up in a bit of an argument, and my oldest lad turned around to the guy (who was arguing with them) and said 'mate, what's your problem?'. He turned to watch the game again then he's been whacked in the back of the head.

"It was hard to just stand there and watch it unfold in front of you when your flesh and blood is taking a hammering, and there was a lot of them," he said.

Cunningham also revealed that once his son was taken to hospital, scans showed he had a broken nose.

NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo has also slammed the actions of those involved in the incident, saying: "There is no place for violence at [NRL] games.

“Magic Round is a celebration of our game, our fans and families. Almost 150,000 fans will attend this weekend and we will speak with the Stadium, who oversees security, to ensure the right measures are in place.”

Queensland Police have confirmed three of the people involved were removed from the ground and given penalty infringement notices for disorderly conduct on a licensed premises.

That said, there are currently no active assault complaints as a result of the fight, but Cunningham has confirmed that neither he or any of his family members have been contacted by authorities about the incident.