Phil ‘Buzz Rothflied - 50 years in Rugby League News

In the latest episode of Chiming In, we are joined by a man who knows the engine room of rugby league better than anyone else. Buzz has spent nearly half a century at the centre of the sport’s most explosive stories. From his humble beginnings as a copy boy to becoming the most read and often most debated columnist in the country, Buzz joins us to pull back the curtain on a life lived in the headlines.

From Mechanic to Media Icon

It is hard to believe that the man who now dictates the news cycle once struggled to hold down a job at a local service station. After dropping out of school in the fourth form, Buzz’s career path is anything but linear. "I was just hopeless at school," he admits. "Anything I don’t enjoy I can’t sort of absorb into my brain."

After a brief, disastrous stint as a motor mechanic apprentice where he "stuffed up" the brakes on a luxury Rover, he finds his true calling at News Corp. He starts at the very bottom in 1976, taking the 5:30 am shift wrapping newspapers. Buzz recalls that he was hungry for a break. "I said, ‘I’ll deliver the mail, I’ll do whatever it takes to get there.’"

The Near-Fatal Wake-Up Call

The pressure of the "snake pit," as he calls the rugby league world, eventually takes its toll. Buzz speaks candidly about the massive heart attack he suffered at just 43 years old, a moment that nearly ended his career and his life. "I ate absolute shit. I was living on KFC and fast food. I was a heavy, more than a packet a day smoker... I was a walking time bomb," he explains.

He credits his wife, Cass, for the fact that he is still here to tell the story. Buzz remembers the doctor telling him the next morning, "Gee you’re lucky mate. You were 50/50 last night pulling through." Since that night, he has traded cigarettes for Nicorette gum and beer - for the most part - for 8km power walks,

Navigating the Feuds

You do not survive 50 years in sports journalism without making a few enemies. Buzz reflects on his legendary "stinks" with figures like Peter Sterling and Phil Gould. For Buzz, the job is about accountability, even when it costs him a friendship. "The game is a snake pit," he notes. "I write so much stuff and it’s impossible not to offend people... there’s plenty of combat and collisions with people I like and respect, but you can’t help it."

Despite his unabashed love for the Cronulla Sharks, cemented by a 2016 premiership tattoo, he remains adamant that he plays no favourites. "I probably go harder on Cronulla than I do any other club because I want to show people that I’m not biased," he says.

The Rush of the Scoop

As he approaches his 50th anniversary in February 2026, the fire for the "scoop" still burns as bright as ever. For Buzz, journalism is not just a job; it is a competitive sport. "Breaking a story is like you guys winning a big football game," he said. "I get this massive rush out of breaking a story and I still do. I like beating the Herald, smashing Channel 9 when we can. I just do."

Watch the full interview on Fanatics TV.