Mar 20th, 2018

Mar 20th, 2018

Former NRL star Willie Mason says he was racially abused at Penrith during his playing days following allegations South Sydney star Greg Inglis was called a “black dog” in his side’s loss to the Panthers on the weekend.

The NRL integrity unit and the Panthers are investigating claims a member of the Panthers stadium crowd racially viflified the Rabbitohs captain.

Mason, a former international and Origin star, revealed that he had also experienced racism while playing at the foot of the mountains.

“It was around about 2003/2004. It may have been after the game or during the game, I might have come off one time and there was ‘Hey Mason you rapist, black c---. In the warm down, there was a bloke on the side calling Hazem El Masri a terrorist,” Mason said on Skipi TV

(Skipi TV )

Mason said there were a number of insults hurled at his direction and that other players had similar experiences while playing at Penrith.

“It’s happened to a number of footballers out at Penrith. It’s a different ball game out there.

“Everybody who knows Penrith, not blaming Penrith as a city or anything like that, but when you go out there the gloves are off.

"And they’re into you but racial slurs have got to stop. I’ve spoke to a heap of Polynesian boys, a heap of aboriginal fellas and they’ve copped a s---load out there as well.”

While the ex-Bulldogs forward admitted sections of the crowd were stuck in the past, he said the Penrith club are very professional and that the behaviour and actions of one person should not tarnish the Panthers.

(Getty)

Mason believes the punishment for the culprit should vary depending on their age.

“If it’s 10-16-year-old I think they should educate the person.

“They should name them and they should be taken out to aboriginal communities and show them how aboriginal people live.

“If it’s an adult, throw the book at him, fine him and kick him out of the game for the rest of his life.”

NRL CEO Todd Greenberg praised Penrith for reacting swiftly on the incident.

"I give the Panthers club, people like Brian Fletcher and Phil Gould an enormous wrap for working effectively round the clock for the last 48 hours, trying to find this culprit," he said.

"And if we do, we'll throw the book at him.

"The message is simple: we don't tolerate that sort of behaviour. Nor does community, or rugby league, more specifically.

"You're not welcome in our game. You're not welcome to be part of the game. In fact, you aren't part of the game. If and when we get to that point in time, we'll make those decisions."