NRL Appears to Troll Singer Tones and I With 'Dance Monkey' Played at Grand Final

The National Rugby League (NRL) may have taken a subtle jab at Australian pop singer Tones and I after her abrupt cancellation of a pre-game performance at the Grand Final. Following the first try of the match by Francis Manuleleua for the Newcastle Knights against the Sydney Roosters, the singer's well-known song "Dance Monkey" was played over the stadium's public address system.

This occurred shortly after reports surfaced that Tones and I had withdrawn from the performance due to a refusal to sing her biggest hit, a claim she has since denied. The song choice at the Grand Final was interpreted by many viewers as a deliberate and "petty" move by the NRL.

Online reactions highlighted the perceived trolling. "Dance Monkey after the first try the level of pettiness is iconic, haha," one user commented on X, formerly Twitter. Another noted, "The stadium DJ dropping Dance Monkey in the #NRLGF didn’t go unnoticed." Others chimed in with similar observations, with one person suggesting, "Someone clearly trolling by playing Dance Monkey over the PA system." Some viewers speculated that the decision to play the song came directly from NRL chairman Peter V'landys.

Tones and I, whose real name is Toni Watson, had pulled out of the pre-game entertainment just days before the event. Reports at the time suggested a dispute over performing "Dance Monkey," though the singer later released a statement attributing the cancellation to a scheduling conflict with a performance in the USA with rapper Macklemore.

Amy Shark stepped in to fill the performance slot left vacant by Tones and I. She was joined by Dave Gleeson of Screaming Jets and Phil Jamieson of Grinspoon for a segment honoring former South Sydney Rabbitohs player Jai Arrow, who is battling motor neurone disease.

Last month, NRL chairman Peter V'landys had commented that spending significant amounts on A-list performers was a "waste of money," suggesting that the $1 million offered to Watson could instead be donated to children in need.