Wife of former NRL player supports Bryce and Shanelle Cartwright’s anti-vaccination stance

The wife of another NRL player has issued a scathing response to critics, revealing the league’s anti-vax headache is much bigger than it thinks.

Taylor Winterstein is a vocal critic of vaccinations.

The wife of former NRL star Frank Winterstein has voiced her support for Gold Coast forward Bryce Cartwright and his wife Shanelle after they defended their anti-vaccination stance.

As players return to training this week, the NRL said it will be compulsory for footy stars to receive the vaccination as part of its strict biosecurity measures to protect against the spread of COVID-19.

But despite the overwhelming scientific evidence supporting the use of vaccinations, Cartwright is reportedly refusing to follow that directive. The back-rower is one of the code’s most high-profile anti-vaxxers and he and his wife revealed last year they would not vaccinate their children.

Shanelle stood by the couple’s position in light of the most recent controversy, writing on social media “our kids are a picture of health” and “we have the freedom to choose which medical procedures we undergo”.

Taking to Instagram on Wednesday, Taylor Winterstein hit out at critics targeting the Cartwrights, blasted the NRL and said the number of players and partners in the league “who consciously choose not to vaccinate would seriously surprise you”.

“Most of these NRL players and their partners just want to live in peace, and be able to have the freedom to choose what they feel is best for their own children,” Winterstein wrote in a lengthy post.

“When you see how mainstream media constantly slander, dehumanise and degrade the only two ‘footy wags’ they know of so far who choose not to vaccinate, myself and Shanelle Cartwright, I understand why other NRL families want to be left alone.

“But the truth is, there are more than just a handful of us. There is a strong core group of families - current, former and retired NRL players, from all different NRL clubs, who proudly stand for MEDICAL FREEDOM and INFORMED CONSENT.

“Now these NRL players who know how to make informed choices, are put in a position where they may have to come out publicly to protect their basic human rights and not be forced into vaccinations every year in order to play or get paid.

“The irony is that the NRL strongly emphasise the importance of players understanding what ingredients are in the daily supplements/products they ingest but when it comes to vaccines they’re meant to inject into their bodies, the NRL have a different set of rules regarding this product.”

RELATED: Shanelle Cartwright hits out at critics over anti-vaccination stance

The Wintersteins and Cartwrights are on the same page.

Winterstein has been outspoken on her views towards vaccination, calling herself an “ex-vaxxer”. Last year it emerged she was hosting $200 “workshops” teaching other parents about her stance and in December she hit out at Samoa for launching a wide-scale immunisation program in response to the country’s measles epidemic, comparing the island nation to Nazi Germany.

Earlier on Wednesday Winterstein, whose husband played for the Bulldogs, Manly and Penrith in the NRL, doubled down on her opinion coronavirus is a scam - which has been a prominent theme in her recent social media posts - saying she “definitely said this PLANdemic is a SCAM because IT IS”.

Continuing her vaccination tirade, Winterstein said “the corruption and coercion is so blatantly obvious to me” when it comes to the NRL possibly making players who won’t get a flu shot sign waivers to be allowed to play.

She also suggested “there were at least two other players from the Gold Coast Titans” besides Cartwright who have refused the flu shot, but he was the one the “media” chose to “blame and shame”.

“The truth is both Shanelle and Bryce Cartwright are loving, devoted, informed parents who are raising two beautiful, healthy, thriving children,” Winterstein wrote.

“They are all a picture of health, a strong family unit and are a clear example of what can happen when parents choose to take back control of their own families health.

“My family stand with the Cartwright family and will continue to support every other family in the NRL who simply want the FREEDOM TO CHOOSE.”

In response to Winterstein’s Instagram post, Shanelle Cartwright commented “Love you Winterstein fam” with a love heart emoji.

Winterstein is a famous face among the anti-vaccination movement.