Newcastle Knights CEO Philip Gardner’s sexist gaffe falls flat

Newcastle Knights CEO Philip Gardner has come under fire after making a sexist remark during the club’s annual awards night.

The Newcastle Knights might be soaring to new heights with their best finish to a regular season since 2006, but off the field the club leadership has managed to dig new lows with a gaffe from the club CEO falling flat on the club’s night of nights.

Philip Gardner, who also serves as the CEO of Wests Group, was giving a speech at this year’s Danny Buderus Medal, and concluded his speech with a quote often attributed to Winston Churchill.

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“A good speech should be like a woman’s skirt,” Gardner was reported as saying by Fox Sports. 

“Long enough to cover the subject but short enough to keep you interested.”

The line reportedly went down poorly with the audience, which had just heard from Gardner about the importance of the Knights’ NRLW side to the future of the club, and included Fox League’s Lara Pitt, who was hosting the night.

The night was live-streamed on the Knights website, but by the following morning had been edited to exclude Gardner’s speech.

Philip Gardner’s speech fell flat on Newcastle’s night of nights. (AAP Image/Darren Pateman)

The Knights will play the Raiders on September 10, and will look to continue a red-hot run of form that has seen them become the competition’s team to beat.

It comes off the back of a comfortable win last week against the Dragons at Kogarah, the 32-12 win including two extraordinary tries from English winger Dominic Young.

Young looked to be bundled over the sideline by Mosese Suli, only to reach out backwards over his head to slam the ball down for his first try.

As if to make a show of his abilities, Young then doubled up with an extraordinary leaping effort that took St George’s Tyrell Sloane with him over the try line and put the finishing touches on what was a firm message to the rest of the competition.

Yvonne Sampson on Fox League was stunned.

“He is the eye-catcher, he is the showstopper, that has to be in the conversation for try of the year,” Sampson said.

Sportswriter Bernie Coen was incredulous.

“This is really ridiculous. Is he even human?”, Coen tweeted.

The best reaction of them all, however, came from Andrew Voss on commentary.

Calling the first try as Young was tackled by Suli, Voss struggled to control himself behind the microphone.

“OH! Young is cartwheeled, and may have still scored!”, Voss exclaimed.

“This is absolutely incredible! This is what you show to Vegas!”

The win didn’t come without its tense moments however, with the Dragons launching a late charge in the final 15 minutes to make the Knights earn it.