It was a no-brainer for the NRL to warn Toby Rudolf over post-match interview – Sydney Morning Herald

Its easy to accuse the NRL of wowserism after it sent Cronullas Toby Rudolf an official warning for his post-match comments about his potential post-match antics after victory of the Dragons.

Part of his cunning plan was to have 1000 beers and then try and pull something. Anything will do at Northies Hotel. In reality, he was probably going to have an ice bath and a good nights sleep before recovery the following day.

It was met with merriment on The Matty Johns Show, which was conducting the on-field cross, and shared widely on social media. Rudolf is viewed as a bit of a throwback footballer, a knockabout lad who might play on a weekend and throw a few bricks around the building site bright and early Monday.

Alas, the hilarity ended on Tuesday when NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo swiftly let Rudolf and the Sharks know it was all out of order.

Its clear that those kind of comments are offensive and derogatory to people and thats not how we are as a game any more, Abdo told the Herald. He was trying to make a joke but its not appropriate to joke like that. I think he understands and he appreciates those comments are hurtful.

The response has been met with the familiar cries of political correctness gone mad and that the real characters were being driven out of the code. In rugby league, there is always the undertone from certain sections that the game is slowly being drained of its core macho elements; just look at the reaction when the shoulder charge was rightly outlawed.

Toby Rudolf during his Fox Sports cross. He has been warned by the NRL for the contents of the interview.

But this was the ultimate no brainer for the suits at NRL HQ, especially in the context of a week where the treatment of women has been front and centre in the nations consciousness. On Monday, thousands joined the March 4 Justice rallies around the nation to protest against sexism and gendered violence.

One of its former stars, Jarryd Hayne, has also been in court this week as he faces two charges of aggravated sexual assault inflicting actual bodily harm on a woman in her bedroom on September 30, 2018. He has pleaded not guilty.

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It was a no-brainer for the NRL to warn Toby Rudolf over post-match interview - Sydney Morning Herald