Lara Pitt's brutal response after Sharks fan's shocking act on live TV
The disgruntled fan was put in his place after gatecrashing the NRL reporter's live cross.
Warning: The following story contains language that some readers may find offensive
Fox League presenter Lara Pitt has delivered a hilarious backhander to the foul-mouthed Cronulla supporter who interrupted her live cross from PointsBet Stadium following last weekend's NRL elimination final. Pitt was reporting back to the studio moments after the Sharks' one-point loss to the Roosters as shattered fans filed out of the ground when one flipped the camera and shouted: "F*ck the Roosters, f*ck the Roosters".
The unflappable reporter held her nerve brilliantly, responding "OK, that'll do, buddy" while telling him to move on. "Anything could happen here, but I'm going to forge through," Pitt told the studio.
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But after further unwanted comments from another group of fans, she eventually conceded defeat to the mob. "I think I'm going to have to wrap it up because I don't know what's going to happen here," she signed off.
Vision of the incident with the Cronulla fan quickly did the social media rounds, with most condemning the man's behaviour while praising Pitt's poise under fire. Reflecting on the exchange almost a week on, the Fox presenter wondered if things could have been handled differently.
What is wrong with these people? A journalist is just trying to do her job. How would they like it if Lara Pitt was to come to their workplace and behave in such a disrespectful manner? If you are so desperate to be seen and heard post what you have to offer on TikTok. https://t.co/4wNGf5dVUC
— Alan Katzmann (@Katzo60) September 10, 2023
Absolute class by @LaraPitt_ in the face of some utterly boorish Sharks “fans”. Shit fans, shit stadium.
— footy #YES23 (@steedencentral) September 9, 2023
Tells old mate to move on and he runs of like a Cronulla player in finals footy
— henry gibbs (@gibbsy1997) September 9, 2023
"It's Shark Park and you don't have many options (to shoot a live cross)," Pitt told WSFM on Thursday. "I think about it in hindsight - should we have gone across the road, should we have hidden in the trees? - but it's just part of the fabric of rugby league.
"The fans are so passionate and if the Sharkies had won it would have been going absolutely bananas behind me, but obviously that guy was very disappointed."
Lara Pitt's brilliant response to Cronulla fan
Pitt, a devout St George Illawarra fan, then hit the Cronulla supporter where it hurts most. "I could have said a lot of other things. I was just trying to move him along and do my job," she said. "I could have come up with a lot of other very funny things to say to him about the fact that his team had just bombed out of the finals."
The battered and bruised Roosters live to fight another day, taking on Melbourne on Friday night for the right to play Penrith in the grand final qualifier. Brisbane await the winner of Saturday's semi-final between the Warriors and Knights. Fox League has no plans to scrap live crosses from grounds but may look for more suitable locations in the future to avoid being so up close and personal with fans.
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