Khod Hand Investigation

I know what a khawd can mean. Here’s why the NRL is struggling to understand Tigers gesture

Story by Michael Chammas

As the NRL contemplates what to do with the Wests Tigers players who gave Bulldogs fans a ‘khawd’ on Sunday afternoon, it’s important to point out the complexities surrounding the historic use of the Arabic gesture.

As someone of Middle Eastern background who grew up in the heavily Arab-populated western Sydney suburb of Merrylands, few are better qualified to explain the connotations of the khawd.

While some in Middle Eastern culture find it derogatory, it also carries a more playful undertone that is becoming increasingly dominant with the younger generation in postcodes where you’ll find an OG charcoal chicken shop.

Khawd by definition means “take that” or “cop that”. It can be used as an “up yours”, but in recent years it has also become something of an affectionate gesture used among the Australian-Arabic community. It’s all in the context and execution.

Even at Sunday’s games there were different examples of the sign. Proud Lebanese Bulldogs winger Jacob Kiraz spotted fellow Lebanese Tigers player Adam Doueihi across CommBank Stadium before the game.

No hugs. No fancy handshakes. Just a “lek khawd” from across the field with a smile that was part, ‘We’re going to smash you later’ and part, ‘Love you, brother’.

This is where it becomes murky for the NRL. Administrators may not fully grasp the meaning of the gesture or when/how it can be used and are relying on the interpretation of others to determine whether they should be amused or handing out breach notices for bringing the game into disrepute.

There’s no doubt the Tigers players, fuelled by emotion in a spiteful game, meant the gesture as an “up yours” to Doggies fans who give out khawds for fun.

And quite often, it is for fun. Like when you beat your brother 4-3 with a 90th-minute winner in a game of FIFA after he spent the whole match talking up how good he is. You give him a khawd.

When Bulldogs fans gather for a photo and don’t want to stand there posing awkwardly – as highlighted on social media over the past few days – they give the camera a khawd.

When the Tigers wrap up a sweet victory over the Bulldogs with Lachlan Galvin at halfback after his messy mid-season walk-out, you definitely give a khawd.

The Arabic community has been bemused during the past 48 hours as the rugby league news cycle discovers a gesture that has now skyrocketed in popularity, despite some horrific pronunciations by my friends in the media.

It’s not “quad”. It’s not “cord”. Or khouf, as our Mediterranean brother Braith Anasta pronounced it on NRL360 on Monday night, an attempt that sounded more like a Greek island than an Arabic sledge.

The “khhh” needs to sound like you’re clearing your throat, finished off with an ‘awd’ that is said with the kind of passion the Tigers finally played with on Sunday.

The Bulldogs complained to the NRL on behalf of some of their fans who took offence to the Tigers’ gesture. But did those fans take offence to the gesture, or because they were on the receiving end of it?

And what does the NRL do now? Punish players for a gesture that has connotations that are as difficult to understand as the word is to pronounce for the non-Arabic speaking community?

The NRL is concerned that by doing nothing it will create a rod for its back the next time a player goes down the more traditional route of flipping the bird at the crowd.

They’ve previously handed out breaches to players for doing so, hitting Matt Lodge with a $5000 fine when he raised his middle finger to the Gold Coast Titans crowd while playing for the Warriors in 2021.

Brent Naden would’ve become familiar with the khawd during his tenure at Belmore. He was one of three players, along with Samuela Fainu and Latu Fainu, to use the gesture towards to the crowd on Sunday.

He followed it up after the game with a video of giving the khawd and saying “f—ing dogs”. It was meant to be a private message, but ended up being shared on social media.

Naden will probably be fined by the NRL for doubling down. But Sunday’s events should be seen as an illustration of the unmatched tribalism, rough edges and all, that sets rugby league apart from other competitions – like the potentially forthcoming Rugby 360.

The Tigers have been bashed for more than a decade. I’ve pulled on the gloves and dispensed an uppercut or three. But Sunday afternoon was as good as it gets for their long-suffering fans, who were entitled to enjoy the moment.

They beat the team whose coach rejected them. The team whose halfback walked out on them for. And did it in front of a rival supporter base who continues to take great pleasure in their misery.

If ever a situation called for a khawd, Sunday was it. Play on.
 
As has been mentioned its open to interpretation ...kiraz clearly in a light hearted moment here with AD apparently....and not always derogatory...exactly the same as a player cupping his ear to opposition fans boos...or a shoosh gesture

Petty and weak from Gould...what do we expect
If I was the Dogs, I'd be more worried about the 2 blatant forward passes the ref missed that directly led to tries.
 
The NRL can not possiblity let the Bulldogs supporters decide when to be offended about an action -: that they actively participate in - and when not to.
If it is meant to be playful when directed at mates the Wests Tigers players in that setting are not their mates. How can you decide that that the Wests Tigers were not being playful back? Suddenly it becomes offensive to the Bulldogs because they are not in the right side of the scoreboard and are not in a playful mood .?
Absolute disgrace if any action is taken over this.
 
As has been mentioned its open to interpretation ...kiraz clearly in a light hearted moment here with AD apparently....and not always derogatory...exactly the same as a player cupping his ear to opposition fans boos...or a shoosh gesture

Petty and weak from Gould...what do we expect
Gould not handling the pressure now... Smug Prick

Phil Gould has embarrassed himself in a trainwreck 30-second TV segment on Monday night.
The rugby league icon left viewers squirming in their seats as he refused to answer generic questions about the Bulldogs’ star recruit Lachlan Galvin.

It was another bad look for the Canterbury football supremo, coming just weeks after his integrity as an NRL commentator was called into question.

Gould’s shadow games regarding his club’s controversial courting of Galvin has left many with a sour taste in their mouth — and his performance on Monday showed his conflict of interest has reached breaking point.

The 67-year-old was tight-lipped when asked about news that emerged on Monday night that his club’s No. 7 was taken for scans over injury fears following the club’s loss to the Tigers on Sunday.

It got awkward for the Monday night panel.
It was reported on Fox League’s NRL 360 that Galvin is in “serious doubt” to play this weekend’s game against the Warriors at Accor Stadium on Sunday — and may need to spend several weeks on the sideline with the NRL finals series just five weeks away.

Fans got a lot more information on Fox League than they did from Gould.

The former NSW State of Origin coach was asked by leading journalist Michael Chammas if there was “anything to be worried about” with the scans, Gould responded: “They don’t send you for scans unless you’ve got something to worry about.

“So we’ll see what happens. I’m not the doctor. I don’t read the scans.”

When asked by Cronulla premiership-winning captain Paul Gallen what body part was being assessed, Gould responded sheepishly: “Ankle and hand I think”.

When asked by 100 % Footy host Emma Lawrence if he had suffered the injury during the game, Gould responded: “He didn’t pick it up carrying his bag to the game, Emma”.

When asked if there were fears Galvin’s season could be over, Gould responded: “I hope not”.

It was 30 seconds of cringing for most viewers as Gould refused to give a straight answer.

This is far from the only time Gould has refused to give viewers a straight answer when it comes to Galvin.

It reached tipping point in May when Gould and Chammas had a heated exchange in front of the cameras when the former Penrith supremo was questioned about the club’s moves behind the scenes to entice Galvin to leave the Tigers.
 
As has been mentioned its open to interpretation ...kiraz clearly in a light hearted moment here with AD apparently....and not always derogatory...exactly the same as a player cupping his ear to opposition fans boos...or a shoosh gesture

Petty and weak from Gould...what do we expect
It's what he does - and has been doing since becoming the ARL headkicker in the Superleague battle...

30 years later - Gus is a protected species who only ever espouses self-serving bullshit!
 
If I was the Dogs, I'd be more worried about the 2 blatant forward passes the ref missed that directly led to tries.
There a couple of satisfying things that came out of that game, the first being that we actually had that couple of calls go our way, ones that more often than not we see our opponents get.

Just as satisfying is the fact that even without those 2 tries, the score board still has us winning the game and the fact that this well tuned and so called much improved scoring machine that Gus has created with the inclusion of Galvin was still not able to score against us when we only had 12 on the field. 🤣
 
Gould not handling the pressure now... Smug Prick

Phil Gould has embarrassed himself in a trainwreck 30-second TV segment on Monday night.
The rugby league icon left viewers squirming in their seats as he refused to answer generic questions about the Bulldogs’ star recruit Lachlan Galvin.

It was another bad look for the Canterbury football supremo, coming just weeks after his integrity as an NRL commentator was called into question.

Gould’s shadow games regarding his club’s controversial courting of Galvin has left many with a sour taste in their mouth — and his performance on Monday showed his conflict of interest has reached breaking point.

The 67-year-old was tight-lipped when asked about news that emerged on Monday night that his club’s No. 7 was taken for scans over injury fears following the club’s loss to the Tigers on Sunday.

It got awkward for the Monday night panel.
It was reported on Fox League’s NRL 360 that Galvin is in “serious doubt” to play this weekend’s game against the Warriors at Accor Stadium on Sunday — and may need to spend several weeks on the sideline with the NRL finals series just five weeks away.

Fans got a lot more information on Fox League than they did from Gould.

The former NSW State of Origin coach was asked by leading journalist Michael Chammas if there was “anything to be worried about” with the scans, Gould responded: “They don’t send you for scans unless you’ve got something to worry about.

“So we’ll see what happens. I’m not the doctor. I don’t read the scans.”

When asked by Cronulla premiership-winning captain Paul Gallen what body part was being assessed, Gould responded sheepishly: “Ankle and hand I think”.

When asked by 100 % Footy host Emma Lawrence if he had suffered the injury during the game, Gould responded: “He didn’t pick it up carrying his bag to the game, Emma”.

When asked if there were fears Galvin’s season could be over, Gould responded: “I hope not”.

It was 30 seconds of cringing for most viewers as Gould refused to give a straight answer.

This is far from the only time Gould has refused to give viewers a straight answer when it comes to Galvin.

It reached tipping point in May when Gould and Chammas had a heated exchange in front of the cameras when the former Penrith supremo was questioned about the club’s moves behind the scenes to entice Galvin to leave the Tigers.
How the F**k would Gus be able to answer any of those questions, he's never even met him. 🤣
 
Gould not handling the pressure now... Smug Prick

Phil Gould has embarrassed himself in a trainwreck 30-second TV segment on Monday night.
The rugby league icon left viewers squirming in their seats as he refused to answer generic questions about the Bulldogs’ star recruit Lachlan Galvin.

It was another bad look for the Canterbury football supremo, coming just weeks after his integrity as an NRL commentator was called into question.

Gould’s shadow games regarding his club’s controversial courting of Galvin has left many with a sour taste in their mouth — and his performance on Monday showed his conflict of interest has reached breaking point.

The 67-year-old was tight-lipped when asked about news that emerged on Monday night that his club’s No. 7 was taken for scans over injury fears following the club’s loss to the Tigers on Sunday.

It got awkward for the Monday night panel.
It was reported on Fox League’s NRL 360 that Galvin is in “serious doubt” to play this weekend’s game against the Warriors at Accor Stadium on Sunday — and may need to spend several weeks on the sideline with the NRL finals series just five weeks away.

Fans got a lot more information on Fox League than they did from Gould.

The former NSW State of Origin coach was asked by leading journalist Michael Chammas if there was “anything to be worried about” with the scans, Gould responded: “They don’t send you for scans unless you’ve got something to worry about.

“So we’ll see what happens. I’m not the doctor. I don’t read the scans.”

When asked by Cronulla premiership-winning captain Paul Gallen what body part was being assessed, Gould responded sheepishly: “Ankle and hand I think”.

When asked by 100 % Footy host Emma Lawrence if he had suffered the injury during the game, Gould responded: “He didn’t pick it up carrying his bag to the game, Emma”.

When asked if there were fears Galvin’s season could be over, Gould responded: “I hope not”.

It was 30 seconds of cringing for most viewers as Gould refused to give a straight answer.

This is far from the only time Gould has refused to give viewers a straight answer when it comes to Galvin.

It reached tipping point in May when Gould and Chammas had a heated exchange in front of the cameras when the former Penrith supremo was questioned about the club’s moves behind the scenes to entice Galvin to leave the Tigers.
Can’t see the problem… he answered every question.
Just not the way they wanted.
 

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