'Not a gender issue': Bizarre claim as Billy blasts 'cowards'

Billy Slater has taken aim at “cowards” who piled on to abuse referee Kasey Badger over the weekend.

But NRL’s head of football Graham Annesley believes the vitriol was not exacerbated by the fact Badger is a woman, and had more to do with her inexperience.

Badger was criticised for losing control of the game at Accor Stadium on Saturday in which three decisions were successfully overturned by the Tigers, and two of their players were sin-binned but Aidan Sezer allowed to stay on the field following an ugly tackle.

Players including Tigers prop David Klemmer voiced their anger at Badger on the field, but the worst comments came on social media.

Rob Bechara, who hosts a Tigers fan podcast, tweeted Badger should get “Back to the kitchen you dumb f—” and labelled her a “bitch”.

Despite this, Annesley said the criticism was not gender-based.

“This is not a gender issue,” Annesley told media on Monday.

“Even when referees do make mistakes, they don’t make mistakes because of their gender – they make mistakes because they’re human.