The NRL will reportedly hand down a punishment to the Wests Tigers after they allegedly made an offensive gesture \u2014 a ruder equivalent of a middle finger \u2014 to the crowd after scoring a try against the Buldogs on Sunday.<\/p>\n
The Bulldogs made a complaint about the behaviour of some Tigers players following Samuela Fainu\u2019s final try in the Tigers\u2019 28-14 win.<\/p>\n
FOX LEAGUE, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every game of every round in the 2025 NRL Telstra Premiership, LIVE with no ad-breaks during play. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited-time offer ><\/a><\/p>\n The Daily Telegraph\u2019s Phil Rothfield reported on NRL360 that the league isn\u2019t happy with the incident.<\/p>\n \u201cI can say that the NRL didn\u2019t like it and I\u2019m told there will be a punishment,\u201d Rothfield said.<\/p>\n \u201cWe had a similar incident in the AFL last week when a Hawthorn player gave the bird to the crowd. He was fined $1500. <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m told the Wests Tigers players who did the same will cop a $1500 fine.\u201d<\/p>\n Veteran journalist Brent Read added: \u201cIt\u2019s all silly but the public nature of it and the fact it\u2019s been picked up, I think the NRL have to act in these situations… It\u2019s not the crime of the century.\u201d<\/p>\n The Bulldogs have asked the NRL Integrity Unit to look at Tigers players using a gesture widely known as the \u201ckhawd\u201d or \u201ckhod\u201d in the Arabic community, given by lowering the middle finger and pointing it in the direction of another person. <\/p>\n Tigers players have claimed that they made the gesture as retaliation for relentless abuse from Bulldogs fans through the game, CODE Sports reported<\/a>.<\/p>\n The term \u201ckhwad\u201d means \u201ctake that\u201d in Arabic however, in some contexts, it has an offensive meaning similar to \u201cflipping the bird\u201d. The translation could be as strong as \u201cf*** you\u201d.<\/p>\n The Bulldogs\u2019 fan base has a large Arabic contingent and the club has been inundated with complaints by fans and members who felt disrespected by the incident. <\/p>\n Fainu was seen doing the gesture to the fans after scoring the match-sealing try in front of the Bulldogs fans, with his brother Latu Fainu and Brent Naden following his lead.<\/p>\n The incident was followed by Naden appearing in a video on TikTok after the game with the same gesture while saying: \u201cKhod, f***ing Dogs\u201d. CODE Sports reported that Naden did not upload the video, saying that it was sent it to a friend, who forwarded it to another friend, who posted the clip.<\/p>\n Doueihi masterclass as Tigers down Dogs | 02:30<\/p>\n MORE NRL NEWS<\/p>\n CRAWLS: Rap sheet that should count against Penrith in \u2018unforgivable\u2019 new drama <\/a><\/p>\n TALKING POINTS: Legend\u2019s shock Walsh call; Storm doubts after \u2018yips\u2019 <\/a><\/p>\n \u2018NO, I\u2019M GOOD\u2019: Luai\u2019s cheeky response to touching Galvin moment as Benji weighs in<\/a><\/p>\n The Tigers have a large number of Lebanese players, including Adam Doeuihi, Alex Twal and Tony Sukkar. <\/p>\n Sukkar was in the try celebration, but did not use the gesture.<\/p>\n