Phil Gould has taken aim at what he sees as a growing distraction in rugby league, voicing his strong disapproval of post-try celebrations in the aftermath of Wests Tigers players receiving warnings over an on-field gesture.
Samuela Fainu and Brent Naden directed the ‘khawd’ gesture towards Bulldogs fans during their upset win last weekend, prompting concern over its possible offensive connotations.
While Naden was issued a breach notice following an explicit post-match video, several players were formally warned by the NRL.
‘If you want the rain, you better put up with the mud’
Gould, speaking on Wide World of Sports' Six Tackles with Gus, said the incident was a product of a trend he’s never supported.
“I hate all the post-try celebration stuff. I hate the way we encourage it, and I hate the way we promote it. I hate the way that we promote how the players react to the fans,” the Bulldogs general manager said.
“You keep wanting to promote that stuff, and if you want the rain, you better put up with the mud.”
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He added: “I don't like all that, but if you want to promote all of that, you're gonna get this stuff. That’s just my opinion on it.”
Gould also confirmed he hadn’t spoken to any of his Bulldogs players about whether they were offended, despite the gesture being directed at the club's supporters during the 28-14 defeat.
While some in the Arabic community see the ‘khawd’ as derogatory, others have described it as a light-hearted, almost affectionate gesture among the younger generation.