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Warriors prop hit with fine from NRL for offensive wrist tape

Is this the right punishment?

Published by
Scott Pryde

The NRL have handed down their punishment to Kane Evans for his offensive wrist tape during Sunday's loss to the Penrith Panthers.

Evans was seen by the cameras sitting on the bench during his role as 18th man for the Auckland-based club with writing on his wrist tape.

The writing in question read "Fold some c***."

Evans will be fined $5,000 by the NRL, which while seeming hefty, is actually far less than what has been handed down previously.

Andrew Fifita was slapped with a $20,000 fine in 2016 after he wrote a message in support of convicted one-punch killer Kieran Loveridge, while Matt Lodge was also fined in an under 20s game for offensive strapping which was forced to be removed during the game by New South Wales officials.

Warriors' coach Nathan Brown said the club wouldn't sanction the prop any further.

"They have given him a $5,000 fine so it was an expensive piece of writing, I suppose you could say," Brown said.

"If that is the worst thing Kane Evans does, well he has copped a kick up the backside and we will move on with it.

"Kane is a good lad who has only been with us short-term. He is very popular amongst the boys and he is a terrific bloke."

Speaking to Stuff.NZ, Warriors CEO Cameron George said the club didn't accept what Evans had done.

“Yesterday I just told him to cover it up,” George said.

“But regardless of why he did it, he shouldn’t have done it.

“We don’t accept that, we don’t condone it, or think it’s appropriate and I’m waiting to see if there is anything that comes from it from the NRL.

Evans has made ten appearances for the Warriors this year, taking his NRL tally to 127 after stints at both the Roosters and Eels stretching back to his NRL debut in 2014.

The 29-year-old has been named amongst the reserves once again for the Warriors ahead of this Saturday's clash with the South Sydney Rabbitohs on the Sunshine Coast.

Published by
Scott Pryde