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The Guardian
07-08-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
How a controversial hand gesture divided opinion in the NRL
The NRL showed leniency on Wednesday by letting off Wests Tigers players with a warning after they used a gesture offensive to some Lebanese-Australian communities in Sunday's victory over Canterbury-Bankstown. But the sanction is unlikely to satisfy everyone given the range of responses elicited, from those outraged to others who believe the act was 'just a bit of banter'. Celebrating a second-half try to seal an upset Tigers' win against the high-flying Bulldogs in pouring rain at Parramatta, backrower Samuela Fainu made a hand gesture known as 'the khawd', and his teammates quickly joined in. Almost one in five residents of Bankstown have Lebanese ancestry, and the Bulldogs' fanbase has a strong association with Arab communities in Sydney's west. The club holds an annual Ifthar dinner each year during Ramadan and one of its favourite sons is Lebanon-born former winger Hazem El-Masri. Many Bulldogs fans in the stands on Sunday took offence at the sign made by the raucous Tigers players, some returning with a khawd of their own, while others put their thumbs down or raised their middle finger. But this was not a straightforward Tigers v Bulldogs debate. NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo admitted on Tuesday he had to 'learn up' about the gesture and its sensitivities. Canterbury-Bankstown Mayor Bilal El-Hayek – who will host a charity sleepout with the Bulldogs on Friday – declined to comment. Lebanese-Australian former Tigers hooker Ben Elias expressed firm views in the immediate aftermath. 'It's an ugly sign of hatred and these are the kind of actions that create issues and problems. It should be removed from the game immediately,' Elias told the Daily Telegraph. 'It was obviously aimed at the Lebanese. It means 'go and get fucked'. There's no need for it and there's no place in the game for it. The last thing you want to see is kids who idolise these players start repeating those hands signs and thinking it's cool.' Not all Lebanese-Australians immediately reach the same conclusions when they see the gesture. Jacob Kiraz, the Bulldogs' backline hero and son of Lebanese migrants, has been pictured using the khawd in a friendly manner. Prominent Bulldogs podcast the Kennel sought to provide context amid the storm of attention this week. 'Khawd literally means 'take this' in Arabic. If done to a mate it's the funniest thing, but when done in spite people will literally kill each other over giving each other the khawd,' its host Elmo said. But he believes the incident has been blown out of proportion. 'I don't understand why they've made a complaint. It's nothing, it's just a bit of banter. It's just like giving fans the finger. Move on.' After the Bulldogs expressed their displeasure to the NRL following the game, and due to the attention the controversy has attracted, the governing body was compelled to to act. Sign up to Australia Sport Get a daily roundup of the latest sports news, features and comment from our Australian sports desk after newsletter promotion A formal warning was given to three Tigers players on Wednesday. 'The NRL acknowledges that these actions caused, or had the potential to cause, offence to members of the NRL community,' the league's statement read. The penalty was relatively light, given this week the Penrith Panthers were fined $50,000 and had trainer Corey Bocking suspended for five matches for interfering with Gold Coast kicker Jayden Campbell during a conversion attempt. However, a harsher sanction was handed to Tigers' back Brent Naden. He was one of the players who gave the crowd the khawd on Sunday, but went further than his teammates in sharing a video of him using the gesture after the match, and accompanying it by saying 'fucking dogs'. Naden has been hit with a breach notice and is expected to face a fine. He and the club have five days to respond.
The Guardian
06-08-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
How a controversial hand gesture divided opinion in the NRL
The NRL showed leniency on Wednesday by letting off Wests Tigers players with a warning after they used a gesture offensive to some Lebanese-Australian communities in Sunday's victory over Canterbury-Bankstown. But the sanction is unlikely to satisfy everyone given the range of responses elicited, from those outraged to others who believe the act was 'just a bit of banter'. Celebrating a second-half try to seal an upset Tigers' win against the high-flying Bulldogs in pouring rain at Parramatta, backrower Samuela Fainu made a hand gesture known as 'the khawd', and his teammates quickly joined in. Almost one in five residents of Bankstown have Lebanese ancestry, and the Bulldogs' fanbase has a strong association with Arab communities in Sydney's west. The club holds an annual Ifthar dinner each year during Ramadan and one of its favourite sons is Lebanon-born former winger Hazem El-Masri. Many Bulldogs fans in the stands on Sunday took offence at the sign made by the raucous Tigers players, some returning with a khawd of their own, while others put their thumbs down or raised their middle finger. But this was not a straightforward Tigers v Bulldogs debate. NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo admitted on Tuesday he had to 'learn up' about the gesture and its sensitivities. Canterbury-Bankstown Mayor Bilal El-Hayek – who will host a charity sleepout with the Bulldogs on Friday – declined to comment. Lebanese-Australian former Tigers hooker Ben Elias expressed firm views in the immediate aftermath. 'It's an ugly sign of hatred and these are the kind of actions that create issues and problems. It should be removed from the game immediately,' Elias told the Daily Telegraph. 'It was obviously aimed at the Lebanese. It means 'go and get fucked'. There's no need for it and there's no place in the game for it. The last thing you want to see is kids who idolise these players start repeating those hands signs and thinking it's cool.' Not all Lebanese-Australians immediately reach the same conclusions when they see the gesture. Jacob Kiraz, the Bulldogs' backline hero and son of Lebanese migrants, has been pictured using the khawd in a friendly manner. Prominent Bulldogs podcast the Kennel sought to provide context amid the storm of attention this week. 'Khawd literally means 'take this' in Arabic. If done to a mate it's the funniest thing, but when done in spite people will literally kill each other over giving each other the khawd,' its host Elmo said. But he believes the incident has been blown out of proportion. 'I don't understand why they've made a complaint. It's nothing, it's just a bit of banter. It's just like giving fans the finger. Move on.' After the Bulldogs expressed their displeasure to the NRL following the game, and due to the attention the controversy has attracted, the governing body was compelled to to act. Sign up to Australia Sport Get a daily roundup of the latest sports news, features and comment from our Australian sports desk after newsletter promotion A formal warning was given to three Tigers players on Wednesday. 'The NRL acknowledges that these actions caused, or had the potential to cause, offence to members of the NRL community,' the league's statement read. The penalty was relatively light, given this week the Penrith Panthers were fined $50,000 and had trainer Corey Bocking suspended for five matches for interfering with Gold Coast kicker Jayden Campbell during a conversion attempt. However, a harsher sanction was handed to Tigers' back Brent Naden. He was one of the players who gave the crowd the khawd on Sunday, but went further than his teammates in sharing a video of him using the gesture after the match, and accompanying it by saying 'fucking dogs'. Naden and the club have five days to respond.
ABC News
30-06-2025
- Sport
- ABC News
Tayla Preston's NRLW Bulldogs dream decades in the making
When Tayla Preston became Canterbury's inaugural NRLW signing, her mother went out to the garage and rummaged around for a specific family treasure from more than 20 years earlier. The last time the club won the NRL premiership in 2004, the Preston family — Canterbury supporters living in Bulldogs heartland — had framed a signed poster of the team. NRL legends Sonny Bill Williams, Johnathan Thurston, Hazem El Masri and Willie Mason were in the squad that pipped the Sydney Roosters 16-13 in the grand final. Two decades on, the Prestons hung the photo frame back up in the family home as a reminder of what Tayla could achieve, blazing a trail with the club's first NRLW team. "We kind of said, 'We'll have to put that up around the house to set a goal,'" said Preston, ahead Friday night's round-one match against Newcastle at Stadium Australia. "It's pretty cool to be able to look at that. I'd love to be able to lift the trophy up for the Bulldogs one day." Along with the Warriors, Canterbury are one of two NRLW additions in 2025, pushing the competition to 12 teams this season. The Warriors re-join the NRLW, having last played in the competition in 2020. For playmaker Preston — who is a co-captain alongside Angelina Teakaraanga-Katoa — representing the Bulldogs is an opportunity many years in the making. She grew up playing touch football and idolising the likes of Josh Reynolds, Trent Hodkinson and Josh Morris as they wore the famous blue-and-white jersey. Preston played halfback for Cronulla in last year's NRLW grand final, which the Sharks lost 32-28 to the Sydney Roosters, and has previously appeared for Parramatta. She insists a grand final appearance should not be off the cards for the youthful Bulldogs roster coached by ex-NRL player Brayden Wiliame. Veteran prop Holli Wheeler and Kiwi Ferns trio Alexis Tauaneai, Teakaraanga-Katoa and Ashleigh Quinlan will be essential to helping Canterbury realise that goal. "There's no reason why we can't be there on grand final day. We believe we've got the squad to do so," Preston said. "For us it's just about building that legacy and holding those standards really high for the young girls to be able to see there's a proper pathway now and they can play for the club that they idolise too." AAP
Yahoo
30-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Preston's NRLW Bulldogs dream decades in the making
When Tayla Preston became Canterbury's inaugural NRLW signing, her mother went out to the garage and rummaged around for a specific family treasure from 20 years earlier. The last time Canterbury won the NRL premiership in 2004, the Preston family - Canterbury tragics living in Bulldogs heartland - had framed a signed poster of the iconic team. NRL legends Sonny Bill Williams, Jonathan Thurston, Hazem El Masri and Willie Mason were in the team that pipped the Sydney Roosters in a classic grand final that day. Two decades on, the Prestons hung the photo frame back up in the family home as a reminder of what Tayla could achieve blazing a trail with the club's first NRLW team. "We kind of said, 'We'll have to put that up around the house to set a goal'," Tayla Preston told AAP ahead of round one this weekend. "It's pretty cool to be able to look at that. I'd love to be able to lift the trophy up for the Bulldogs one day." Along with the Warriors, Canterbury are one of two new NRLW franchises pushing the competition to 12 teams this season. But for co-captain and playmaker Preston, playing for the Bulldogs is an opportunity many years in the making. She grew up playing touch football and idolising the likes of Josh Reynolds, Trent Hodkinson and Josh Morris as they wore the famous blue-and-white strip. Her brother Jarryd was as keen a Canterbury fan, too, and used to run around wearing a pair of Mason's oversized footy shorts he'd been gifted after a game when the siblings were young. Tayla has since crossed paths with Mason when he's dropped into training for the NSW Women's Premiership team. "I wasn't game enough to tell him we had a pair of his shorts at home. Maybe one day," she said with a laugh. So after a lifetime dreaming of playing for the Bulldogs at first-grade level, Preston is determined to make her chance count. Preston insists a grand final appearance, just like that one from 2004, should not be off the cards for the youthful Dogs roster coached by ex-NRL player Brayden Wiliame. Veteran prop Holli Wheeler, co-captain alongside Preston, and Kiwi Ferns trio Alexis Tauaneai, Angelina Teakaraanga-Katoa and Ashleigh Quinlan will be essential to helping Canterbury realise that goal. "There's no reason why we can't be there on grand final day. We believe we've got the squad to do so," Preston said. "For us it's just about building that legacy and holding those standards really high for the young girls to be able to see there's a proper pathway now and they can play for the club that they idolise too."
