THE NRL is inches away from the ultimate act of hypocrisy.

Just two weeks ago, we saw Brisbane Broncos forward Matt Lodge, a multiple violent offender, be granted the precious gift of a NRL comeback.

Fast forward to now and a life ban is being considered for a Penrith Panthers fan who made a racist remark to South Sydney Rabbitohs superstar Greg Inglis last weekend.

Does that not scream double standards?

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By no means do I condone racism; it has no place in the game, or in society.

However, if the NRL are going to hand out a life ban to a fan after they just let Lodge sign to play with the Broncos, with full knowledge of his past, then you can’t help but call hypocrisy.

After NRL CEO Todd Greenberg threatened the ban earlier this week, a swarm of support came from both players and the wider NRL community, including Rabbitohs hooker Damien Cook and Australian coach Mal Meninga.

It’s wonderful to see so many people stand against racism, because there is just no way it can continue to have a presence in this day and age.

Greg Inglis leaves the field at Penrith Stadium.

However, what’s really hard to understand is how the NRL can justify a lifetime’s worth of punishment for one, and just one year for the other.

The status of a fan is minuscule compared to that of a first-grade player.

Lodge, like every other player, should be a role model to kids and an asset to the game both on and off the field. The fan, while still important, doesn’t carry that level of responsibility.

Yet when both stuff up, why is it that the one who carries more responsibility to the game is the one who gets a lesser punishment?

The NRL should be applauded for having zero tolerance for racism. This fan does deserve to be punished. However, there needs to be some sort of consistency, otherwise fans, players and anyone else invested in the game will lose faith in the system.

A life ban is absolutely too harsh. Taking away this person’s right to attend a game and support his team for the rest of his life is extreme.

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If he has kids, he would no longer be able to share that experience with them because of one inappropriate outburst.

There are definitely no excuses for the comment that he made but there is a much better way to not only punish the offender but also provide the support to ensure he doesn’t cross this line again, at either an NRL game or in everyday life.

Take a look back to an incident in 2014, when Ben Barba was subjected to racist comments on social media by a Country Rugby League player.

His offender wasn’t banned for life from attending games, or even playing them himself, he was only banned until he completed a cultural awareness program.

That is exactly the punishment that should be handed to this fan, along with a face-to-face apology to Inglis.

Matthew Lodge (R) during Round 1.

Rather than taking the quick fix by throwing him out, the NRL should take this opportunity to educate the fan and give him a chance to learn from his actions. After all, they did offer that to Barba’s offender, and to Lodge.

If they do follow through with the life ban after the turbulent couple of weeks surrounding Lodge’s place in the game, the NRL are in danger of implying that they see violence against women as an act that’s not as serious as racism.

They are both a form of abuse and should cop worthy punishments to show that neither will be condoned — yet not punishments from opposite ends of the spectrum.

The NRL have made it clear that second chances are offered, so now they need to follow through or run the risk of looking hypocritical.