NRL boss Andrew Abdo jokes about Penrith fans' controversial mocking of Canberra's Viking clap

NRL boss Andrew Abdo risks the wrath of Raiders fans as jokes about Penrith supporters’ controversial mocking of Canberra’s Viking clap

  • Penrith fans angered Canberra Raiders supporters in their clash last week
  • They mockingly performed the Viking Clap during the second half of their clash
  • Now the NRL boss Andrew Abdo has travelled to Penrith for a corporate event
  • He jokingly referred to Penrith as the home of the Viking clap  

Was it tongue in cheek? Was it a faux pas? No matter the reason, Canberra fans won’t be impressed with NRL boss Andrew Abdo declaring that Penrith is home of the Viking clap.

Tensions boiled over when the Panthers and Raiders met in round seven with players coming together for some push and shove after the fulltime siren in another fiery clash.

While the Panthers won 36-6, one of the biggest talking points was the crowd. Twice in the second half Penrith supporters broke out the Raiders’ trademark Viking clap to mock the opposition in the process.

Penrith fans mock Canberra by performing the team's trademark Viking clap in round seven

Penrith fans mock Canberra by performing the team’s trademark Viking clap in round seven

Now Abdo has rubbed salt into the wound after travelling up the M4 with ARLC Chairman Peter V’landys for a corporate breakfast being put on by the club for sponsors.

At the Panthers in Business Breakfast, Abdo opened his address by saying: ‘It’s great to be in Penrith today, the home of the Viking Clap.’

Penrith’s Western Weekend deputy editor Nathan Taylor was at the event and confirmed that Abdo made the remark.

‘He didn’t, did he?’ one fan asked.

‘Oh he did. And it was glorious haha,’ Taylor replied.

‘There will be tears in the ACT about this,’ Ross Martin replied.

Some Raiders fans took it pretty seriously. Danny Shinryuken was certainly unimpressed, calling the NRL boss a ‘dog’.

‘As the CEO of the NRL, he should have a neutral view on the game as a whole and show no form of favouritism or biasism. Just shows in black and white how unprofessional the game of Rugby League has turned to,’ he posted on Facebook.

Others could see the humour. ‘Obviously said as a joke though, so no harm done,’ Andrew JP posted.

‘He’s playing to the audience, and ngl it’s a pretty good one,’ Ben Straney agreed.

While the Raiders might be privately seething over the mock Viking Clap incident, coach Ricky Stuart was in no mood to discuss it last week.

‘I have got no thoughts, mate,’ Stuart said in response to a question about the Penrith crowd.

‘Is that really a big focus point … f*** me dead.’

source: dailymail.co.uk