Former radio colleagues Ray Hadley and John Gibbs reportedly got into an ugly verbal clash during the NRL grand final as their feud bubbled to the surface after it started decades ago.

Top broadcaster Hadley and great commentator Gibbs worked together for years at radio station 2UE before breaking off contact when they had a bitter falling out more than 20 years ago.

Gibbs – who now works for the ABC – and Hadley were both covering Penrith’s premiership victory on Sunday when they ended up in the same room.

The former Manly star shouted “Hi Ray” as they crossed paths – while Hadley fired back with “Stop wasting your breath,” according to News Corp.

Gibbs joined the 2UE in 1985, four years after injury forced him to retire from the game.

He was a key part of their rugby league coverage as the channel rose to the top of the ratings, but resigned in 1998, claiming he had suffered intimidation and bullying by Hadley, 2UE’s sporting director.

Gibbs stayed on for another year before leaving the station altogether.

He then switched to rival channel 2GB in 2000. Hadley followed him to the broadcaster in December 2001 and still works there.

2GB radio star Ray Hadley (pictured) reportedly had harsh words with his former colleague John Gibbs when the two crossed paths during the NRL grand final

Gibbs (pictured bottom right with his fellow football commentators at the ABC) stopped working with Hadley more than twenty years ago when the pair fell out

Gibbs responded by switching back to 2UE in 2002 and joined ABC’s footy coverage in 2022.

He also appeared on Channel Nine’s Sunday Footy Show.

The 68-year-old scored 44 tries in his 87 games for the Sea Eagles in a first-class career that began in 1976.

A halfback with a distinctive running style, he also represented NSW in 1978 and was picked for the Kangaroo tour that year, but did not feature in test matches.

Hadley, 70, called the grand final for 2GB on Sunday as part of the channel’s Continuous Call team.

Hadley and 2GB were unavailable when Daily Mail Australia reached out for comment.

In July, Hadley revealed the heartbreaking phone call he had with late footy announcer David Morrow about his induction into the NRL Hall of Fame.

Morrow got the call from Hadley while he was in the hospital battling cancer, with his wife Chris and fellow commentator Mark Levy by his side.

‘It was a very emotional time. I tried to keep it together as best I could,” Hadley told his 2GB audience.

‘Thirsty’ was sleeping and then woke up. While he was awake I explained to him and Chris what had happened that day and he had been elevated to the NRL Hall of Fame.

‘We had a conversation as best we could and later I heard from Mark that tears were shed by David and Chris.’