Channel Nine footy reporter Danny Weidler reveals the bizarre start of his feud with Braith Anasta - after accusing the footy great of threatening to beat him up

Daily Mail​

28-04-2025

Channel Nine reporter Danny Weidler has opened up on the surprising incident behind his feud with Braith Anasta after accusing the former NRL star of threatening to bash him.
Weidler, who works for the Sydney Morning Herald in addition to Nine, had been called out by Anasta on his BTFU podcast as he slammed rival NRL pundits who claimed he has a conflict of interest because he is also a player manager.
Anasta manages multiple current players and also works as the host of Fox Sports' NRL 360 show, where he regularly discusses player contracts and movements.
On the podcast, Anasta talked about holding a charity boxing bout against journalists.
'Sign me up. Sign me up now,' he said.
When his co-host and fellow ex-NRL star Reni Maitua suggested Weidler's SMH colleague Michael Chammas, Anasta replied, 'Don't worry about Chammas, the other bloke, Weidler. I'd love to [fight him].'
Weidler then hit back at Anasta in his SMH column earlier this month.
'The smart approach from Anasta would be to keep his head down instead of saying he wants to bash people about 15 years older than him,' Weidler wrote.
'This columnist is definitely not Mike Tyson, but I'm not so sure that Anasta doesn't think he is Jake Paul.'
Now Weidler has used his appearance on the How's That? podcast to reveal what he believes started the feud - and whether he'd punch on with the 43-year-old.
'Braith? No,' he said when he was asked about getting into the ring.
When pressed further on why Anasta had called him out for a fight, Weidler said: 'He doesn't like me because I call him out as having conflicts of interest as a player-manager.
'People don't always like the truth.
'Everybody's got some other role in the game and with Braith... no, he's 15 years younger than me, he's fitter than a Mallee bull.'
Weidler then revealed he had previously beaten the former Bulldogs star over 18 holes of golf - despite the fact Anasta is highly skilled at the sport.
Pictured: A mocked-up boxing promotion featuring Weidler and Anasta that's on the former Bulldogs star's Instagram
'He won't like this story being out,' Weidler began.
'Many years ago we played a game of golf together on the coast and I beat him.
'I reckon that's why he doesn't like me... there are other reasons.
'He wants to fight me in the ring.
'I'm not silly enough to take on a bloke who is 15 years younger than me.'
Anasta has previously been questioned regarding his alleged conflict of interest.
He claimed the accusations - which were brought up as Anasta commented on the stunning split between the Wests Tigers and teenage star Lachlan Galvin - were 'hypocrisy' as Nine and SMH commentators have their own divided loyalties.
But Weidler had subsequently clapped back at that.
'To try to dismiss the criticism, Anasta chose instead to attack the Nine network and its highest-profile figure Phil Gould in a podcast, calling him out because of his dual roles as a TV expert and the boss of the Bulldogs. None of this was new,' Weidler wrote.
'He then tried to attack the likes of Paul Gallen, Billy Slater, Cameron Smith and even Andrew Johns but barely laid a verbal glove on them.
'It was not a well-considered or well-thought-out rant, but it has been noted by some of the people who he thinks are his mates.'