Canterbury Bulldogs head of football Phil Gould has confirmed he will challenge a $20,000 fine handed down by the game's governing body.
The NRL served Gould with a breach notice last week alleging he had brought the game into disrepute thanks to comments made on Channel 9 show 100% Footy.
In his comments on the show, Gould labelled the NRL as 'stupid' for disallowing a try the weekend before to Wests Tigers' hooker Apisai Koroisau.
โOur game's so stupid. You can lose the ball over the line and it costs you 20m and seven tackles. Why?" Gould said of the incident on the show 100% Footy.
โI don't know because it's stupid. But I can just take a line drop out and it goes out on the full no consequence.
โIt's nothing at all โ what sort of stupid game is this? Who sits and makes up these rules?
โApi Koroisau try what the hell was that โ what the hell was that? We are so stupid with our rules. Our game is stupid.โ
The NRL took just days to hit back, fining Gould $20,000, with half suspended for contravening the NRL rules.
"It is alleged that on the 100% Footy program on Monday evening, Gould made public comments considered to be detrimental to the best interests of the game, in contravention of the NRL Rules," the NRL wrote.
"The Code provides that no person bound by the Code shall engage in any conduct which is detrimental to, brings into disrepute, is inconsistent with, is contrary to, or is prejudicial to, the best interests, image or welfare of the ARLC, the NRL, the NRL Competition, the Related Competitions, the Representative Competitions, the Clubs or the Game."
Speaking on the Today Show this week though, Gould said he will fight the sanction.
"That's our game, it doesn't make sense, does it?" Gould asked.
"I'll certainly be challenging this breach notice, I can let you know that. I haven't done anything wrong.
"I have to go through a process. They have given me a breach notice. I've been too busy to deal with it over the weekend, I've got a lot on this week so I'm going to have to get a continuance so I can get my lawyer onto it."
Gould originally had five business days to respond to the NRL's breach notice, which was handed down last Thursday.
