Fox Sports have today taken down an online video accused of "casual racism" after it offended some past and present Pacific Island players in the National Rugby League.

The clip, titled 'Footy Kids in Cars', aired on the popular Matty Johns Show last week and featured children jokingly trying to pronounce Pacific Island players' names.

But the one-minute skit, sponsored by McDonalds, has bombed with players like former Kangaroo great Petero Civoniceva, ex-Bulldog centre Nigel Vagana and retired Penrith Panther Frank Puletua.

NRL head of Pacific strategy Puletua said he was "disappointed" in the clip, which subjected proud Pacific Island family names to mocking.

He told nine.com.au 48 percent of NRL first-graders were Pacific Islanders and that Polynesian communities were a significant fan base of the game.

Frank Puletua said the Matty Johns Show script had not been considered carefully enough. (AAP)

"I was a little bit disappointed that a segment like that got to air without any sort of thought about how it might be perceived by people in Pacific Island league communities," he said.

Puletua said it was important for players and people to speak out and "voice their disdain strongly".

The 150-game Penrith veteran said he believed the Matty Johns Show did not intend to offend but cautioned "you've got to be mindful of things of like that."

The wife of Cronulla prop Sam Tagataese said in a social media post the segment was out of touch and may cause her young children harm at school.

"Although I believe no malice was intended during the Kids in Cars segment on your show, I do believe that having parents laugh with their children because they are unable to pronounce Pacific Islander surnames is completely disrespectful," Tagataese wrote on Facebook.

"Casual racism is not ok and I do not want my daughter, who goes to school, to have to tolerate it."

Petero Civoniceva with his family waves to the crowd after the Brisbane Broncos v Penrith Panthers at Brisbane in 2012. (AAP)

Former Bronco and State of Origin giant Civoniceva called on those who said the skit was just light-hearted fun to take a different perspective.

"Pacific Islanders make up a huge percentage of the NRL game. Ask us for proper pronunciation - it means a lot to us and our families," he wrote on Twitter.

In response to some Twitter users contending it was only kids saying names, Civoniceva replied: "Starts with us mate. Teach them early - then they will care to take the time to make an effort."

Puletua and colleague Nigel Vagana, an NRL manager of wellbeing and education, are believed to be considering laying a complaint with the NRL and Fox Sports .

Puletua said people who accused his viewpoint of being an over-reaction "are not in an empathetic position to know what people have dealt with in the past or are dealing with now."

"We should not be dismissed or have these views put aside as something not to be taken seriously," he added.

Former Bulldogs and New Zealand international centre Vagana called the script "offensive" and told Stuff.co.nz he was baffled how the segment made it through management at Fox Sports studios.

"The names are tied in with a lot more than just the individual on the field. It's the whole family, he said.

"Stuff like that is not right and at some stage, people have to be held accountable with the Rugby League World Cup coming up at the end of the year."

Vagana said the butchering of Pacific Island surnames was an ongoing problem with Australian commentators and that the issue had not improved over the years.

"There are plenty of Pacific people who know how to say their names and you just ask them," he said.

"It's not really hard to find help if you need it and I think in the past people have complained about pronunciation of Pacific players' names in commentary."

A Fox Sports spokesperson told nine.com.au host Matt Johns would be addressing the incident in tonight's show.

"It was never the intention to upset or disrespect anyone, particularly the Pacific Islander community," the spokesperson said.

"We apologise to anyone who may have taken offence."