Latest Rugby League News

NSWRL to launch investigation after ‘coconut’ slur in Dragons game

It occurred during a match between the Dragons and Steelers.

Published by
Ethan Lee Chalk

The NSWRL is reportedly launching an investigation into a Harold Matthews Cup game after a player from the St George Dragons player accused an Illawarra Steelers player of calling him a 'coconut'.

The report from The Sydney Morning Herald comes after a clash between the two clubs at Netstrata Jubilee Stadium in Kogarah in which the Steelers defeated the Dragons 28-4.

It is unknown who the players involved are because they are under the age of 18, and the publication has not named them, but it is understood that the NSWRL has been made aware of the matter.

The NSWRL will hand down their weekend charges on Monday.

Along with the accusation of a player calling another player a 'coconut', another player was sin-binned over a separate striking incident in the match during the second half.

This comes less than a week after Spencer Leniu was charged with an eight-game suspension after he called Ezra Mam a 'monkey' in the Round 1 match in Las Vegas between the Broncos and Roosters.

It also comes after Manly Sea Eagles forward Haumole Olakau'atu revealed that he has been called a 'coconut' throughout his rugby league career.

“I've been called everything on the field, but it's just words to me – I've been called ‘coconut' many times in the NRL,” Olakau'atu said, via The Herald.

“It's part of the game, it's the heat of the moment, and at the end of the day they don't really mean it. It's just words to me.

“It will happen when you have a scuffle ... I got called that growing up in school. You get used to it. It's just words.”

Published by
Ethan Lee Chalk