Magpies director Alan Fallah stood down after accusing NSWRL of racism
The Western Suburbs Magpies director has been sensationally stood down an after labelling the NSWRL “racist” following a controversial social media post.
Former hooker Alan Fallah has been sensationally stood down as a Western Suburbs Magpies director after labelling the NSWRL “racist.”
Fallah
was issued with a NSWRL code of conduct breach notice for bringing the game into disrepute last week before being sent a second breach notice on Wednesday.
He has now been suspended as a Magpies board member – and any involvement with the NSWRL Referees Association and Cronulla-Sutherland Junior Referees Association – ahead of a judiciary hearing on April 8.
Fallen was told to front the NSWRL after sharing a doctored image on Facebook depicting Canterbury’s injury list which included an image of Ali Khamenei, the Iranian dictator killed by US forces.
The manipulated list stated Khamenei was out injured ‘indefinitely’ through a ‘Burton bomb’. Fallah then wrote: “The Dogs have a few injury concerns.”
Fallah, 67, was hit with his first breach notice amid talk he could be banned from attending any games or being a Magpies director.
But the threat didn’t frighten Fallah, who played 113 NSWRL first grade games for Wests between 1984 and 1990.
Fallah, born to Lebanese parents who emigrated to Australia, returned to Facebook on Tuesday night to take a heavy-handed whack at the NSWRL.
“Hey NSWRL, mocking the death of an evil dictator responsible for the annihilation of thousands of his own people is not racist, it’s POLITICAL!” Fallah posted.
“My dad would be cheering from heaven, knowing the sponsors of Hezbollah who have completely ruined his beautiful country of Lebanon are now being destroyed!
“The only racism on show is YOU, the NSWRL targeting me, when it was posted and shared all over the internet by hundreds of others.”
But a NSWRL spokesperson said Fallah had been issued an amended breach notice and would be immediately stood down as a Magpies director.
“NSWRL has issued Alan Fallah with an amended breach notice which has been referred to the NSWRL Code of Conduct Panel for a hearing on 8 April 2026,” said the spokesperson.
“He has been immediately stood down from any rugby league involvement pending the outcome of the hearing. This precludes him from having any involvement with Western Suburbs Magpies, NSWRL Referees Association and Cronulla-Sutherland Junior Referees Association.
“Fallah has published some Facebook posts which some people could have found offensive.
“Individuals are entitled to any private political opinion they want to hold but, as a senior official of one of our member clubs and a member of the NSW Referees Association and Cronulla-Sutherland Junior Referees Association, he is not entitled to use Rugby League and another one of our member clubs as a tool to promote his private political opinions.
“His actions are brought into particular focus in a week where the NRL is celebrating Multicultural Round and our organisation is celebrating the ‘Game for All’ round culminating in an Inclusion Gala Day on Sunday.”
Some on Facebook condemned Fallah’s original post whereas others claimed it was just cheeky fun.
The drama around Fallah – who represented Country First and Country Seconds in the early 1980s – comes just a few days after Wests Tigers scored an impressive win over North Queensland at Leichhardt Oval.
Article by Dean Ritchie
