Tigers sponsor detail singled out as players face NRL action over 'offensive' act
Samuela Fainu's 70th minute four-pointer saw the Tigers forward and a number of teammates appear to taunt Canterbury fans with what has widely been accepted as the "khod" gesture, which is the equivalent of "flipping the bird" in the Arabic community. The Bulldogs have a proud contingent of Arabic-speaking supporters and the club reportedly contacted the NRL integrity unit to lodge a complaint about the 'offensive' hand gestures.
Veteran league reporter Phil Rothfield told NRL 360 on Monday night that the NRL was not happy about the incident and indicated the Wests Tigers players involved were each facing fines. 'I can say that the NRL didn't like it and I'm told there will be a punishment,' Rothfield said.
'We had a similar incident in the AFL last week when a Hawthorn player gave the bird to the crowd. He was fined $1500. I'm told the Wests Tigers players who did the same will cop a $1500 fine.' Fainu and his brother Latu, as well as Sunia Turuva and Brent Naden were the Tigers players seen on camera making the hand gesture towards the crowd.
Calls for Wests Tigers to reprimand players over incident
The controversy has overshadowed the Tigers' memorable win, and veteran NRL commentator Andrew Voss has questioned why the club has remained silent in the wake of the backlash. Voss pointed out that the situation was a poor look for the club and its sponsors and insists the Tigers should not wait for the NRL to act before handing down their own sanctions to the players.
'What happens if a player just flips the bird to the crowd? Would the NRL take action to that? 100% they would,' Voss said on SEN radio on Tuesday. 'What sport in the world wouldn't (sanction a player). What are the Tigers' players thinking and where are their heads at?
'If you're a sponsor, is that how you want the club to represent you? Should the Tigers have waited for the NRL to take action? Or should the Tigers have got on the front foot and said that 'we don't stand for that'? I believe they should've taken action on their players straight away and told them to pull their heads in.'
Some Tigers players reportedly said the gestures were in response to relentless abuse they claimed to have copped from Bulldogs fans during the contest. Tigers centre and former Bulldogs star Naden was also at the centre of a post-game controversy after appearing in a since-deleted TikTok video in which he made the same gesture and yelled "f***ing dogs" to the camera. The video was reportedly sent by Naden to a friend and then leaked publicly.
Lachie Galvin reportedly abused in pre-game incident
It follows reports Bulldogs recruit Lachie Galvin was also abused by a fan before the grudge match against his former club. AAP was told the incident occurred after Tigers members and fans left the ground, having formed a guard of honour for the players before kick-off.
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The incident left Canterbury officials privately questioning why security was not on hand, given the tensions around Galvin after his unpopular mid-season switch to the Dogs. The 20-year-old was mercilessly booed by Tigers fans every time he touched the ball on Sunday, with Bulldogs coach Cameron Ciraldo proud of how Galvin handled the hostile reception.
"Nothing much flusters him," the Bulldogs coach said about the young playmaker after the game. "I thought he went out there, he did his job... I don't think it rattled him that much. It's just we got beaten as a team."
with AAP
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