Match Discussion: Round 22 vs Canterbury @ CommBank Stadium, Parramatta / Burramattagal

[Tigerm]

Maybe a storm in a tea cup?

 

[Tiger05]

I hope this "Khod” gesture accusation doesn't ring true. If it is true then we as a club need to jump on it. It is dumb stuff to do such a thing.

I reckon it's so f**ken stupid and it's disrespectful.

The problem is these kids can be really stupid. They find this shit funny.

It's also pretty hypocritical Dogs fans complaining about anyone's actions.

 

[WA Tiger]

I reckon knocking someone out cold is worse.. and from the captain.. there’s no mitigating circumstances in a shoulder charge anywhere near the head...it will damage the brain for life.. precious bitches. If that’s all they’ve got, they’ve got nothing

 

[Nutz]

Maybe a storm in a tea cup?

I hope so. It's an ever changing society we live in Tm.
It wasn’t that long ago, and still occurs today, that true blue Aussies take the P out of their mates. It's like a term of endearment. Like at a pub, if you're drinking with your makes, you have to be thick-skinned somewhat.
Now you have to watch what you say and do around people who may have different cultural, religious backgrounds or sexual preferences.
In Australia, I'd like to think we can live a relaxed lifestyle which is how we built this country, but now, it's time to ensure we don't insult our citizens in the process. We also can't be too radical in the way we live as our citizens may also take offence to extremes.
I'm sure this, if true, is a lack of education in the matter. A meeting behind close doors should fix this, I hope.

 

[Hoofhearted]

Well we almost made it 24hrs of positive headlines, now the media has found something else to jump on. Plus Seyfarth suspension, all positive headlines gone.

 

[Tigerm]

I hope so. It's an ever changing society we live in Tm.
It wasn’t that long ago, and still occurs today, that true blue Aussies take the P out of their mates. It's like a term of endearment. Like at a pub, if you're drinking with your makes, you have to be thick-skinned somewhat.
Now you have to watch what you say and do around people who may have different cultural, religious backgrounds or sexual preferences.
In Australia, I'd like to think we can live a relaxed lifestyle which is how we built this country, but now, it's time to ensure we don't insult our citizens in the process. We also can't be too radical in the way we live as our citizens may also take offence to extremes.
I'm sure this, if true, is a lack of education in the matter. A meeting behind close doors should fix this, I hope.

I think we need to be careful condemning these blokes until we know what it means, that X poster said he was an Arab and it was all a bit of fun, but like you, I have no idea, the best I have is sticking the middle finger up.

 

[Nutz]

Well we almost made it 24hrs of positive headlines, now the media has found something else to jump on. Plus Seyfarth suspension, all positive headlines gone.

Unbelievable hey. What's Sayfarts suspension, 1-2 weeks.
If he got 2, Crichton should get at least 4.

 

[Nutz]

I think we need to be careful condemning these blokes until we know what it means, that X poster said he was an Arab and it was all a bit of fun, but like you, I have no idea, the best I have is sticking the middle finger up.

Yeh exactly. Like WA said, shoulder charging someone who could sustain brain injury is pretty bad but not as much coverage from the journos.

 

[Tigerm]

Unbelievable hey. What's Sayfarts suspension, 1-2 weeks.
If he got 2, Crichton should get at least 4.

Seyfarth has got a minimum 3 weeks, 4 if he contests it and loses. Just sucks.
May is unavailable for 14 days.

 

[Tigerm]

I think we need to be careful condemning these blokes until we know what it means, that X poster said he was an Arab and it was all a bit of fun, but like you, I have no idea, the best I have is sticking the middle finger up.

I'll also add, they were pretty pumped up at the time.
Did they know or were they just responding to the crowd of dog fans in front of them?
Is it a common sign used by everyone today, I've never seen it, but I live a sheltered life these days hahaha

 

[Hoofhearted]

And it continues

https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/opinion/opinion-wests-tigers-offensive-gesture-outrage-shows-culture-is-broken/news-story/bb60b6e7208e241ba378994692d8039a

Opinion: Wests Tigers’ offensive gesture outrage shows culture is broken​

A small group of Wests Tigers players’ disgraceful display of an offensive Middle Eastern hand gesture towards Bulldogs fans reinforces the culture is utterly broken at this once-proud club, writes Eliza Barr.
Eliza Barr
follow

@ElizaJBarr

2 min read
August 4, 2025 - 12:28PM
https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/n...ory/bb60b6e7208e241ba378994692d8039a#comments

Opinion​

The latest despicable display from the Wests Tigers just further demonstrates how absolutely rotten and broken this once-proud club’s culture truly is.

I was at Cronulla RSL watching the Bulldogs take on the Tigers on Sunday afternoon when my sister and I clocked an odd gesture from multiple Wests Tigers players, including Samuela Fainu and Brent Naden.
By Monday morning I am reading the NRL is aware they were using a highly offensive Middle Eastern hand signal to Bulldogs fans – famously a base with significant Lebanese Australian support – after scoring a try.
Frequent in defeat, and utterly ungracious in victory – this is a club with a putrid, broken culture that should inspire nothing but shame and disgust in the rugby league community.
The Tigers were the better team yesterday in slippery, difficult conditions and they could have held their heads high with a performance their fans could have been proud of for a change – until a small group of players destroyed it all with this foul behaviour.

Samuela Fainu of the Wests Tigers (R) celebrates scoring a try. (Photo by Mark Evans/Getty Images)

The worst bit is I am not even surprised.
I was hit with a deluge of abuse after I reported my experience when the Tigers took on my beloved Sharks at Leichhardt Oval last year, which was the most confronting and unedifying NRL game I have ever attended.

Samuela Fainu of the Wests Tigers (R) celebrates scoring a try. (Photo by Mark Evans/Getty Images)

Among other things, drunk Tigers supporters on the hill were yelling at the Sharks’ Pasifika players in Fijian.
I called it out at the time and the Wests Tigers spokesman said the club was “appalled by the behaviour” before blaming it on squeezing too many people into a derelict football ground.
“Adequate policing of the Hill is one of many challenges at this venue in its current state,” the spokesman said.
Give me a break.

As it happens, you can’t blame Leichhardt Oval being a bit decrepit this time – this latest incident happened at a state-of-the-art stadium and it proves these problems are following the Wests Tigers everywhere they go.
By comparison, I’ve been to two Bulldogs games in the past couple of years – one in which they defeated the Sharks, and their 2025 Good Friday blockbuster in which they were victorious over the Rabbitohs.
Not once did I feel unsafe, uncomfortable, or in any way concerned by the conduct of the fans or the players on the field – even when I was wearing my team’s colours and we had just lost.
The even more appalling part of those players extending such a rude, offensive gesture to the exact people they knew it would likely offend the most is their clear ignorance of their own fanbase.
2021 Census data reveals Arabic is the second-most common language spoken other than English in Campbelltown – the spiritual home of the Wests bit of this venture.
I reckon the 7300-odd Arabic speakers in Tigers country would have found what these players did pretty offensive too.
Spencer Leniu spent eight weeks on the sidelines for a racist remark towards Ezra Mam in Vegas last year.
The NRL would do well to consider the message it sends in responding to yet another revolting display from this club.

 

[Hoofhearted]

For a bit of perspective on what is written above regarding the Cronulla game last year, I was at that game and on the hill. There were groups of sharks supporters around and near us (we were standing in front of the scoreboard) and where we were there was nothing but good fun natured banter between supporters. There was a group of young kids who were sharks supporters, they spent most of the night having fun rolling around on the grass whilst their parents watched the game. Most of the focus with the supporters was cheering the scoreboard attendant as he updated the scores.
Now I'm not saying that the whole crowd were angels, but to blanket report that its all tigers supporters is BS, she was probably unfortunate to be sitting near a group of yobs which all clubs have.
And if there is any club in the NRL who has a bad rep for supporter behaviour, its the dogs. I know plenty of people who wont go to dogs games, or if they do they wont wear their teams colours.

 

[Tiger05]

And if there is any club in the NRL who has a bad rep for supporter behaviour, its the dogs. I know plenty of people who wont go to dogs games, or if they do they wont wear their teams colours.

I think their actions were stupid and wrong but we live in a society where being an immature dickhead is considered a good thing by some people.

The hypocrisy of dogs supporters whining though kills me.

 

[Crazyperpman]

And it continues

https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/opinion/opinion-wests-tigers-offensive-gesture-outrage-shows-culture-is-broken/news-story/bb60b6e7208e241ba378994692d8039a

Opinion: Wests Tigers’ offensive gesture outrage shows culture is broken​

A small group of Wests Tigers players’ disgraceful display of an offensive Middle Eastern hand gesture towards Bulldogs fans reinforces the culture is utterly broken at this once-proud club, writes Eliza Barr.
Eliza Barr
follow
@ElizaJBarr

This ones for you Eliza

 

[chunk]

and it proves these problems are following the Wests Tigers everywhere they go.

It's allegedly 'happened' at two places.....so that's not everywhere? I'd like to make a generalisation about this 'writer' but..............

 

[Tigerm]

I posted this earlier.
I have no idea what it means, but this guy says he's an Arab and it is just a joke, nothing more.

 

[Tigerm]

All over rover. Next.

 

[Hoofhearted]

Just to finish this one off, I've read comments to articles etc trying to say that Bulldogs fan behaviour is a myth and a beat-up, well:

June 2025 Incident (Belmore, Post-Parramatta Match):

• After the Bulldogs’ 30-12 win over Parramatta Eels on June 9, 2025, at Accor Stadium, fans were recorded blocking traffic and harassing motorists on Burwood Road, Belmore, around 7 PM. The footage, shared on TikTok and X, showed fans in Bulldogs’ blue and white colors surrounding a motorbike and a ute, impeding traffic.

August 2024 Fan Incident (Post-Match, Outside Stadium):

• On August 4, 2024, an incident occurred outside a stadium after a Bulldogs match, involving intimidation and inappropriate conduct toward an opposing team’s supporter. The Bulldogs issued a club statement condemning the behavior, noting it was under investigation with available footage being reviewed.

April 2025 Brawl (Post-Newcastle Match):

• On April 6, 2025, after a Bulldogs win against Newcastle at Accor Stadium, a brawl erupted, resulting in a 21-year-old woman being knocked unconscious and a man assaulted while trying to protect her. Police released images of eight individuals they wished to speak to, described as Mediterranean/Middle Eastern in appearance, aged in their 20s.

2015 Good Friday Clash:
Fans threw projectiles at match officials after a contentious loss to South Sydney. The NRL investigated but did not sanction the club.

2015 Semi-Finals Clash:
Bulldogs fans clashed violently with police after a 38-12 loss to the Sydney Roosters at Allianz Stadium. Footage was captured by an onlooker and reviewed by NSW Police

This was basically a 1 minute search to find these incidents. This is not an exercise to excuse all tigers fan behaviour, but I was just sick of reading BS in various media comments about how bad tigers supporter's are, but bulldogs behaviour is just an old stereotype that isn't real.

 

[WA Tiger]

I’m happy being a shameless winner…like Chammas said this wasn’t just a game. This was payback

 

[WA Tiger]

I like how they use the Arab connotations like it’s suicide bomber level.. fk it’s just giving the finger and according to the arabs.. anyway don’t fk with us or else haha