Furious NRL fans 'nearly choke' over Gus Gould remarks
NRL commentator and league administrator Phil Gould has been slammed by fans for controversial remarks he made about women on Anzac Day.
The Penrith Panthers general manager was part of the team calling the Roosters' golden point win over the Dragons when the camera panned to a shot of the crowd.
Two women could be seen chatting amongst themselves, while a pair of gentlemen in front of them shielded their eyes from the sun to watch the action on field.
That's when Gould offered his provocative take on the on-screen image.
"The girls aren't watching the footy, they don't care. They're talking about other things," he said on the broadcast.
Regardless of the how the comment was intended to be taken, angry fans took to social media to voice their disapproval.
@LadiesWhoLeague I heard that comment and nearly choked on my wine!!
— Jill Scanlon (@jdscanlon) April 25, 2017
Yeah Phil Gould, We just wear these because they're super flattering #FacePalm #NRLRoostersDragons #GetInTheBin pic.twitter.com/eENtMrKh7i
— Annabelle Brett (@annabellebrett) April 25, 2017
Goodbye Channel Nine. Phil Gould needs to go! #NRLRoostersDragons
— Kregan (@BookKR) April 25, 2017
Popular Twitter account, Ladies Who League, challenged female supporters to prove Gould wrong by retweeting their love for the game, with more than 200 users responding in a short space of time.
Women don't care about the footy, Gus? RT if you are a woman who loves her footy.
— LadiesWhoLeague (@LadiesWhoLeague) April 25, 2017
@outersanctum01 @LadiesWhoLeague Phil Gould needs to get into the 21st century. He must've forgotten that Yvonne Sampson is a huge fan & face of NRL at Foxtel
— Mandy Rojas (@mandyrojas23) April 25, 2017
@LadiesWhoLeague Was he even at the game? The women were going off more than the men lol. What a stupid thing to say 😡
— Fab (@fabs_e) April 25, 2017
Gould's career included 104 first grade games, as well as coaching stints at the Bulldogs, Panthers, Roosters and NSW Origin.
Having won multiple premierships and State of Origin series, he is also regarded as one of the most respected voices in the game of rugby league.