NRL investigating Roosters star over alleged ‘Squid Game’ claim

The NRL has reportedly made contact with a woman over an alleged night spot incident which was first raised in a deleted Instagram post.

James Tedesco during the 2021 season. Photo by Matt Roberts/Getty Images.

The NRL has reportedly launched an investigation into an alleged incident involving Roosters captain James Tedesco over a social media post that accused him of using a racial slur.

The star fullback has been accused of yelling the phrase “Squid Game” towards a 20-year-old woman outside Beach Road Hotel in Bondi last week.

The phrase is a reference to the popular Netflix series.

Tiffany Trinh, who is of Vietnamese descent, is the woman at the centre of the claim which came to light after her sister posted an open letter to Tedesco on Instagram. The post has since been deleted.

Trinh told The Sydney Morning Herald she felt the incident was a “joke about her race” and that she is launching a formal complaint to the NRL.

The Australian has now reported the complaint was lodged with the NRL on Sunday night and the Integrity Unit has begun its investigation.

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The Roosters on Sunday confirmed the club has looked into the claim and have found the alleged incident was a matter of miscommunication.

Tedesco and the club claim he was only discussing the TV show with his friends while in close proximity to Trinh.

“After we found out about the Instagram post we thoroughly investigated the matter,” Roosters chief executive Joe Kelly said.

Dally M Captain of the year James Tedesco. Picture: Zak Simmonds

“There was absolutely no interaction between James Tedesco with this group of people. We categorically deny that anything untoward occurred.”

The Herald’s report indicates Trinh claims she felt she was being “laughed at for being Asian” by Tedesco and a group of men outside the night spot.

She is reportedly preparing to make a formal complaint to the league and has told The Herald a representative from the NRL has already made contact with her.

Tedesco has played for Australia and New South Wales and was last month named the Dally M Captain of the Year.