Narelda Jacobs backs NRLW player Caitlin Moran over offensive Queen post

An Aboriginal newsreader who controversially called for an apology from Britain for its colonisation of Australia has now thrown her support behind a rugby league player who celebrated the Queen’s death in a tasteless social media post.

The NRL has come down hard on Newcastle NRLW player Caitlin Moran, slapping her with a one-match ban for sharing an Instagram post – just hours after news of the monarch’s death broke last Friday – that referred to the Queen as a ‘dumb dog’ and declared it was a ‘good f**king day’.

Studio 10 presenter Narelda Jacobs on Thursday reposted a viral tweet contrasting Moran’s ban – which equates to one-sixth of the NRLW season – with the lack of consequences faced by retired AFL player Wayne Carey when he was accused of ‘glassing’ his fiancée in 2007.

Carey has denied ‘glassing’ his then-partner Kate Neilson, saying he only ‘threw wine on her’ at a Miami restaurant and ‘the glass touched her lip’.

The tweet, which Jacobs shared with her 27,000 Instagram followers, read: ‘Wayne Carey glassed his fiancée in the face and was paid $180,000 for an interview about it and continued commentating on Channel Seven.

‘[Mean]while, an NRLW player has been suspended, fined and has to go through an education program for an Instagram post about the Queen.’

The NRL has come down hard on Newcastle NRLW player Caitlin Moran (pictured in December 2017), slapping her with a one-match ban for sharing an Instagram post – just hours after news of the monarch’s death broke last Friday – that referred to the Queen as a ‘dumb dog’ and declared it was a ‘good f**king day’ 

In a separate post, Jacobs also seemingly alluded to her own controversial remarks on Studio 10 in which she spoke of feeling conflicted about the Queen’s death.

She shared the famous quote from French Nobel Prize-winning author André Gide – ‘It is better to be hated for what you are than to be loved for what you are not’ – alongside her own defiant message about ‘speaking her truth’.

‘For everyone who feels like they’ve been drawn into a battle for speaking their truth,’ Jacobs wrote.

Jacobs on Thursday reposted a viral tweet contrasting Moran’s ban – which equates to one-sixth of the NRLW season – with the lack of consequences faced by retired AFL player Wayne Carey (pictured in June 2020) when he was accused of ‘glassing’ his fiancée in 2007 

The tweet, which Jacobs shared with her 27,000 Instagram followers, read: ‘Wayne Carey glassed his fiancée in the face and was paid $180,000 for an interview about it and continued commentating on Channel Seven. [Mean]while, an NRLW player has been suspended, fined and has to go through an education program for an Instagram post about the Queen’

Moran made headlines last week over her comments which appeared to celebrate the Queen’s death, in the hours after the news broke on Friday.

In a since-deleted Instagram post, the Indigenous All Star, who has also represented Australia and New South Wales, used a slur as she referred to the late monarch.

Moran wrote: ‘Today’s a good f**king day, uncle Luke [country singer Luke Coombs] announces his tour, and this dumb dog [Queen Elizabeth] dies. Happy f**king Friday’.

In a separate post, Jacobs also seemingly alluded to her own controversial remarks on Studio 10 in which she spoke of feeling conflicted about the Queen’s death. She shared the famous quote from French author André Gide – ‘It is better to be hated for what you are than to be loved for what you are not’ – alongside her own defiant message about ‘speaking her truth’

The post was eventually deleted after about eight hours, but screenshots of it have been viewed by the NRL’s integrity unit. 

Nevertheless, Moran was able to play for Newcastle in their 18-16 loss to the Sydney  Roosters over the weekend.

On Tuesday, however, the NRL announced they planned on banning Moran for one match, which equates to one-sixth of the NRLW season.

Queen Elizabeth II died peacefully last Thursday in Balmoral at the age of 96 

Moran (pictured in December 2017) made headlines last week over her comments which appeared to celebrate the Queen’s death. The post was eventually deleted after about eight hours, but screenshots of it have been viewed by the NRL’s integrity unit

The former Jillaroos back becomes the first women’s player to be banned for an off-field matter in the NRLW’s history.

The Indigenous Knights star also received a suspended fine of 25 per cent and forced to undergo education and training around the appropriate use of social media.

It comes after Knights coach Ronald Griffiths came to the defence of his fullback after the Knights’ loss to the Sydney Roosters on Sunday.

‘The relationship between Indigenous people and the monarchy is a complicated one,’ Griffiths said.

‘If Caitlin has done something then it will be investigated by the Integrity Unit and we’ll work our way through the process.

‘We’re talking a little bit of negativity with Caitlin, but if we look at we’re she’s come from, in 2017 she wins us the World Cup and does her knee the year after and has probably in the wilderness since then.’

However the NRL said the comments were unacceptable, no matter the circumstances.

A minute’s silence was observed across the four NRL finals games over the weekend to honour the passing of Queen Elizabeth II

But the AFLW decided not to observe a minute’s silence over the weekend, aside from the opening clash, as it celebrate its Indigenous Round

‘Rugby league is an inclusive game and has a proud and strong relationship with many communities,’ the league said in a statement.

‘Regardless of any personal views, all players and officials must adhere to the professional standards expected of them and on this occasion the public comments made by the player have caused damage to the game.’

Moran was not named by the Knights for their final-round clash with St George Illawarra, with Tamika Upton returning at fullback.

The 25-year-old has until next Tuesday to decide whether to accept the finding.

It comes after Jacobs sparked a heated debate on social media after she called for the monarchy to apologise for its colonisation of First Nations people following the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

Her request was met with support from some progressive Australians but also backlash from Britons who feel they do not owe Aboriginal people an apology for the actions of their ancestors more than 200 years ago.

‘No one is owed an apology; the world has moved on. We have learnt from history and that is why all nations are in a better place now,’ one Brit tweeted.

Jacobs (pictured on The Project) sparked debate on social media this week after she called for the monarchy to apologise for its colonisation of First Nations people

‘Invading and taking possession of other peoples’ lands is a fact of human history,’ another wrote on Twitter. 

Some Britons and Australians argued that complaining about colonialism is a ‘waste of time’ because the issue is no longer relevant to modern society. 

One tweeted: ‘”Colonialism” wouldn’t be in the top 1,000 issues facing Aboriginal people today. Bourgeois activists like Narelda do nothing but divert attention and resources away from the problems that really need solving.’

Her request was met with support from some Australians but also backlash from Britons who feel they do not owe Aboriginal people an apology for the actions of their ancestors

Others pointed out that Jacobs is of Irish and English descent on her mother’s side, making her ‘as much British as she is Indigenous’. 

Jacobs’ late father Cedric was an Indigenous man and a member of the Stolen Generations, while her mother Margaret, who is white, migrated to Australia from Northern Ireland with her family.

However, plenty of Australians congratulated Jacobs for sharing her perspective. 

Some Britons and Australians argued that complaining about colonialism is a ‘waste of time’ because the issue is no longer relevant to modern society 

One tweeted, ‘”Colonialism” wouldn’t be in the top 1,000 issues facing Aboriginal people today. Bourgeois activists like Narelda do nothing but divert attention and resources away from the problems that really need solving.’ (Pictured: Queen Elizabeth II in November 2017)

Others pointed out that Jacobs is of Irish and English descent on her mother’s side, making her ‘as much British as she is Indigenous’ 

‘Thank you, Narelda, for sharing your story. I hope there will be changes made,’ one supporter tweeted, as another added: ‘Great work, Narelda!’ 

Jacobs, a presenter on morning show Studio 10, expressed her resentment towards the monarchy on Monday and also said Aboriginal people shouldn’t be criticised for refusing to mourn the Queen’s death.

She described the British monarchy as a ‘symbol of colonisation’ and asked what had been done by the modern-day Royal Family to ‘make up for that’. 

One Twitter user mocked Studio 10’s dwindling ratings

‘There was a great wrong that was done,’ she said. ‘Australia was settled without the consent of First Nations people that were here.’

Jacobs also confessed how ‘frustrating’ it was for her to hear stories of how her late father Cedric, a reverend of the Uniting Church in Australia, had met the Queen and Prince Philip in the 1980s to receive an Order of the British Empire.

At the time, Cedric was also in the process of drafting a treaty between Indigenous Australians and the Commonwealth, but apparently this was not brought up during his meeting with the Queen. 

However, plenty of Australians congratulated Jacobs for sharing her perspective 

Jacobs, a presenter on morning show Studio 10, expressed her resentment towards the monarchy and said Aboriginal people shouldn’t be criticised for refusing to mourn the Queen

Jacobs questioned why the Queen didn’t ‘say anything’ about the proposed treaty despite knowing about ‘the trauma from colonisation’.

‘They knew full well that plans for a treaty were afoot, as there were treaties [with Indigenous people] in New Zealand and also in Canada. But what did they do? That’s the source of the frustration,’ she added.

Jacobs said there was ‘more’ the Queen and Prince Philip could have said to her father, who died in 2018, about the ‘intergenerational trauma’ felt by Aboriginal people as a result of British colonialism and racist government policy in Australia. 

The Queen, who died last week, is pictured at the opening of British parliament in London, England, on December 3, 2008 

Cedric was one of the tens of thousands of Indigenous children forcibly removed from their families from the late 1800s to 1969, in accordance with ‘protectionist’ policies, in what is known today as the Stolen Generations.

While she acknowledged ‘the monarchy is above politics’, Jacobs said she would have liked to have seen more recognition by the Royal Family of the effects of colonialism during the Queen’s 70 years on the throne.

Jacobs then demanded an ‘acknowledgement or apology’ from the monarchy. 

Jacobs also confessed how ‘frustrating’ it was for her to hear stories of how her late father Cedric Jacobs, an Indigenous man, survivor of the Stolen Generations and reverend of the Uniting Church in Australia, had met the Queen and Prince Philip in the 1980s to receive an Order of the British Empire (pictured during that meeting)

At the time, Cedric was also in the process of drafting a treaty between Indigenous Australians and the Commonwealth, but apparently this was not brought up during his meeting with the Queen and Prince Philip (pictured in in Dublin, Ireland, on May 18, 2011). Jacobs said there was ‘more’ the Queen could have said to her father about the ‘intergenerational trauma’ felt by Aboriginal people as a result of British colonialism and racist government policy in Australia

Jacobs went on to defend the AFLW, the women’s division of Australian Rules football, which received backlash for announcing it would not observe a minute’s silence to mark the death of the Queen during the remaining matches of its Indigenous Round. (Pictured: Adelaide Crows players Eloise Jones, Danielle Ponter, Stevie-Lee Thompson on September 5)

‘While the world has united in grief over the Queen’s passing, colonised people have also united over their trauma,’ she said. 

‘Because we know that in British museums are stolen artefacts. Stolen gems, diamonds. There are human remains that are sitting in British museums, even now. And there has been no acknowledgement of that, or apology for that.’

Jacobs asked viewers not to be ‘dismissive’ of those who refuse to celebrate the Queen’s reign or mourn her death, and instead ‘listen’ to them and keep an open mind. 

Hours before her appearance on Studio 10, Jacobs posted this photo on Instagram of herself wearing a T-shirt bearing the slogan: ‘Another Day in the Colony’ 

She went on to defend the AFLW, the women’s division of Australian Rules football, which received backlash for announcing it would not observe a minute’s silence to mark the death of the Queen during the remaining matches of its Indigenous Round.

‘Don’t attack them. Just go, “You must have really listened to be able to come up with that outcome,”‘ she said.

Hours before her appearance on Studio 10, Jacobs posted a photo on Instagram of herself wearing a T-shirt bearing the slogan: ‘Another Day in the Colony.’ 

Jacobs also reposted an Instagram Story from the left-wing women’s website Mamamia, which read: ‘I am an Aboriginal woman. Don’t ask me to mourn the Queen’s death’

Jacobs said in a lengthy Instagram post that she felt conflicted about her father’s MBE and meeting with the Queen

She also noted how her father, who died in 2018, ‘had a great fondness for Queen Elizabeth’  

She also reposted an Instagram Story from the left-wing women’s website Mamamia, which read: ‘I am an Aboriginal woman. Don’t ask me to mourn the Queen’s death.’

Queen Elizabeth was born 138 years after Australia was colonised by Britain in 1788.

She visited Australia 16 times during her 70-year reign. In 2002, she famously watched a cultural show at the Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park in Cairns.

Australia has joined much of the world in mourning Queen Elizabeth II, as her death last Thursday prompts the first change in head of state in more than seven decades. 

Queen Elizabeth (pictured in the drawing room at Balmoral, Scotland, last Tuesday, two days before her death) was born 138 years after Australia was colonised by Britain in 1788

Queen Elizabeth visited Australia 16 times during her 70-year reign. In 2002, she famously watched a cultural show at the Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park in Cairns (pictured)