Kane Cornes doubles down on NRL grand final viewers that ‘sooked it up’ over his controversial take – and footy fans are not happy

AFL great Kane Cornes has doubled down on his criticism of rugby league after his controversial comments were met with a wave of anger from fans of the rival code.

The outspoken media personality took a stunning swipe at rugby league after the NRL decider on Sunday, calling it a “shocking sport”.

Cornes’ comments got the reaction he was looking for, with several journalists lashing out at the former Sunday Footy Show panellist.

“How can you compare and criticize when the AFL GF was decided in 40 minutes,” said former Panthers star and pundit Josh Mansour.

Andrew Webster described the Port Adelaide as a ‘blowhard scarcely respected in its own code’ The Sydney Morning Herald.

“I must have been watching another AFL grand final last week because the one on my TV with the Sydney Swans was done and dusted against Brisbane well before half time,” Webster wrote.

“Something similar happened when GWS Giants played Richmond in 2019. I was there and found myself having Bloody Marys at the bar with then Victorian Premier Dan Andrews well before the long break.”

NRL journalist Tony Adams asked on Twitter: ‘Who are these bloody idiots?’.

Cornes said the NRL final was a disaster and stressed the sport itself was “shocking”.

On Tuesday morning, Cornes acknowledged that he had stirred up the hornet’s nest.

“They totally sucked it up,” Cornes said.

‘What about the fact that they said ‘at least our grand final was an exciting match’. Wait a minute, 14 against 6, one team has more than doubled the other team’s score. That’s like having 35 to 80 in an AFL grand final and saying it was a close match.

‘It wasn’t an exciting match! Melbourne Storm didn’t look like scoring in the second half. They doubled the score and you’re telling me the only thing you have to hang your hat on in that grand final is that it was close…

“I’m doubling down. It has only strengthened my opinion with the response they have had.

‘Nobody told me what the highlight was. I’m just looking for an answer to the question of what the one highlight from the grand final was.’

Predictably, rugby league fans have dismissed Cornes’ latest comments.

Cornes says the response to his comments has only strengthened his initial opinion

“God I hope you meet some NRL players or supporters,” one X user posted.

“Once he said the NRL GF wasn’t an exciting match I knew he knew absolutely nothing about the sport,” replied another.

“Kane trying to expand his national consciousness footprint like this is a new level of pathetic,” a third wrote.

Cornes’ swipe comes after former NRL star Willie Mason branded the AFL final as ‘boring’.

“It was probably the worst major event I’ve ever been to,” Mason said.

‘It was just boring. There were 100,000 people there and after 25 minutes I think this is boring.

“Maybe it was what the Swans were serving up. Very disappointing. Speaking to most people who were there, it was very disappointing.

“If I just ran off as an event. Terrible.’