Bulldogs winger Jayden Okunbor calls out trolls after ‘disgusting’ abuse

Jayden Okunbor has become the latest NRL star to fall victim to online abuse and the Bulldogs winger has called his troll out on Instagram.

Jayden Okunbor made his NRL debut in 2019. Picture: Graham Denholm / Getty Images

Bulldogs winger Jayden Okunbor has taken to social media to call out an Instagram user who sent him abusive messages earlier this week.

Okunbor, who is of Nigerian descent, was called a “black c**t” and a “n****” on Instagram after the Bulldogs’ loss to the Titans on Monday evening.

On Thursday, the 24-year-old shared an Instagram story condemning the abuse.

“I understand playing in the NRL puts yourself out there to cop criticism from anyone with a phone,” Okunbor wrote.

“I can cop some of that stuff, but I draw the line at racism.

“I don’t understand how you can think it’s okay to attack someone because the colour of their skin (sic) and think you’ll get away with it.”

Okunbor said he had been on the receiving end of similar abuse before and had “had enough of it”.

“So I’m calling this out,” he wrote.

“I’m not sure of your age, but whether you’re a kid or a full grown man, you’ve got a hell of a lot of learning to do.

“And I can speak for many people in the public eye, but also everyday people who put up with this s**t from uneducated, ignorant people like you. Do better.”

Okunbor has scored seven tries from his 16 NRL appearances. Picture: Chris Hyde / Getty Images

Shortly afterwards, the Bulldogs released a statement in support of Okunbor, terming the troll’s messages “disgusting”.

The club hinted that the abuser, a Bulldogs supporter, could be banned from attending further fixtures.

“Our club will never tolerate racism in any form and any person exhibiting this sort of behaviour will be banned and reported to the police,” the statement read.

“We now throw our support behind Jayden in the knowledge that no individual should be subjected to this.

“It is simply unacceptable.”

🙅‍♂️ No place for racism. pic.twitter.com/4Dfvs7mGXG

— Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs (@NRL_Bulldogs) August 5, 2021

Okunbor has become the latest NRL star to call out racial abuse this season, after Souths and NSW Blues star Latrell Mitchell did the same in April.

Two men from the NSW mid-north coast were arrested over the abuse.

An ACL injury suffered in the final rounds of the 2020 season has restricted Okunbor to just three NRL appearances so far this year.

The Bulldogs have had little to celebrate in 2021 – the club’s first season under new head coach Trent Barrett has yielded just two wins, but with the likes of Josh Addo-Carr, Brent Naden, Matt Burton, Tevita Pangai Jr., Matt Dufty and Paul Vaughan all bound for Belmore in 2022, things are looking up for Doggies fans.

Okunbor will feature in the side’s future, having inked a new two-year deal with the Bulldogs in July.

Bailey Biondi-Odo, Tui Katoa, Jeremy Marshall-King and Ava Seumanufagai have all signed new Bulldogs contracts of their own this season as well.

Originally published as Bulldogs winger Jayden Okunbor calls out trolls after ‘disgusting’ abuse