He's the NSW Blues player Maroons fans love to hate but Andrew Fifita has slammed a pub north of Brisbane for a social media post he says was "racist, discriminating" and a personal attack on his family.
Kallangur Tavern, in Moreton Bay, posted to its Facebook account an image of a woman with a black-faced mask strapped to her back after the second State of Origin match last week with a caption that read "Our best dressed tonight is this Blues supporter...Carrying Andrew Fifitas (sic) daughter on her back?!?!".
An incensed Fifita, the Origin game 1 man of the match, took to Instagram on Thursday to express his disgust at the tavern's image.
"I'm all for people shaming me but when you involve my Family it's personal now," he wrote.
"This is so wrong on all levels. I will be in Brisbane soon and I will be going past your pub to see you personally."
The tavern had taken down the post and apologised for the "any offense (sic)" it caused.
"It was an error in judgment by a staff member, whom is deeply regretful and repentant for the post made," the post read.
"In no way is it the view of the patron portrayed, nor the Hotel, its management nor staff."
Fifita is no stranger to controversy after he was admonished and banished from the Australian team eight months ago over his support for one-punch killer Kieran Loveridge.
Activist Facebook page Blackfulla Revolution, which had originally featured the woman on their social site before they also took it down, wrote they had been contacted by the woman's family who said the pub had misinterpreted the costume.
"We've been contacted by two members of her family who have said she's not a racist ... and that her 'costume' was turned into something awful by the Pub, who gave it a meaning it was not intended to have," the revised post read.
A second image of the mask in question shows the face as half black and half blue.