Newcastle Knight Caitlin Moran must be wishing she played for Penrith in the NRL, while Panthers winger Taylan May would be thanking his lucky stars he's not in the NRLW.

Moran's been suspended for one game and fined a quarter of her salary for the entire 2022 NRLW season, albeit with the latter suspended for 12 months provided she doesn't re-offend and does some education course.

All for her tweet where she expressed her joy at country singer Luke Coombs announcing his tour - and her joy at Queen Elizabeth's death.

"Todays a good f---ing day, uncle Luke announces his tour, and this dumb dog dies. Happy f---ing Friday," she tweeted before eventually deleting it.

Yeah sure, it's not the nicest thing to say about someone who's just died. Especially someone who was widely liked around the world.

But the comments are completely understandable as well given Moran's an Indigenous athlete. You know, Invasion Day and all that. Having your land and way of life taken away from you by British invaders.

Not to mention the following 250 years of white occupation, which included the horrific treatment of the Stolen Generation.

It's a perfectly understandable position for any Indigenous person to take.

While a one-game ban might not seem like much, it's 20 per cent of the NRLW regular season and means Moran will miss out on the Knights' final-round clash against St George Illawarra.

That makes it the equivalent to about a five-game ban in the NRL.

The fine of 25 per cent of her wage is just extraordinary. The average wage of an NRLW player is about $15,000. And a quarter of that? $3750.

It doesn't sound like much. But it is when you're only earning $15,000.

Imagine Panthers halfback Nathan Cleary getting a $325,000 fine for doing something wrong on social media (That's a quarter of his $1.3 million salary).

Let's say he broke the law during lockdown, filmed a TikTok video with some illegal visitors and then lied to the NRL integrity unit about it all.

Oh hang on, that's exactly what the Penrith co-captain and NSW State of Origin star did.

And his punishment? A $30,000 fine and a two-match ban. Relatively, not even close to Moran's whack.

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At least Cleary was forced to serve his ban during the season he committed his offence. Unlike May.

Yes, Taylan May. The Panthers winger who snuck up behind an unsuspecting patron and threw them to the ground. Narrowly avoiding what could have been a serious head injury to his victim in the process.

An act the magistrate slammed as being both "cowardly" and "reprehensible".

The NRL didn't even think it was worthy of suspending him this season. Instead, in one of the most bizarre decisions in the history of world sport, allowed him to play out the finals series and serve a two-game suspension next season.

Apparently it would be unfair on Penrith fans if he didn't play. As opposed to unfair on every other player in the history of the game who's been suspended.

He also got a fine of $7500 - $3750 of which was suspended - which would conservatively be five per cent of his salary.

It just doesn't add up. Especially if you're a woman. Or Indigenous. Or both.

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