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Find your Sport Nation frequencyMal vs Jacko: Why Immortal was told to "eff-off"
SEN • July 16th, 2025 12:26 pm
Twenty three years on from the AFL vs NRL charity boxing showdown, Mal Meninga has lifted the lid on a behind-the-scenes “biff” between him and Mark 'Jacko' Jackson.
Ahead of the latest “code wars” bout between Paul Gallen and Sonny Bill Williams, Meninga reflected on his famous fight back in 2002.
In what was then referred to as the “original code war”, Jacko was comprehensively beaten by the Rugby League Immortal.
But it turns out a pre-fight suggestion from Meninga had not sat well with the V/AFL star.
“He upset me,” Meninga said on SENQ Breakfast. “It was a charity thing for awareness of men’s suicide.
“I went into the dressing rooms prior to the fight to have a talk to Jacko.
“(The fights) were between the rugby league ex-players and AFL ex-players. League were winning by a fair way so I said, ‘Listen, lets go out there, dance around, entertain the crowd for three rounds and have a good time’.
“He told me to eff-off basically. He poked the bear, so I jabbed him.”
Earlier in the show, SENQ Breakfast host Corey Parker revealed he had been approached to contest a 'celebrity' fight but immediately turned it down when he was told who it would be against.
“There was this boxing bout I was asked to be part of against a current prop in the NRL,” he said.
“I’m 43 and when they presented it to me, I said who is it? They said It’s junior Paulo. I said are you cracking them? Crank the price up and I’ll think about it a bit more.
“I’m 10 years his senior. He’s about 15kgs heavier and that’s who they want me to fight.
“Neville Costigan ended up taking the fight and ended up on his back. Paulo, he’s done it, this is not his first rodeo.
"If I’m gonna get knocked out I want to at least look in good nick. You can see why I declined.”
