League: Taylor's one-finger salute goes viral

Queensland player Dave Taylor is caught on camera pulling the finger. Photo / Facebook

Dave Taylor's one-fingered gesture during Wednesday night's thrilling State of Origin decider has landed him off side with bitterly disappointed Queensland officials.

Images of the South Sydney forward, who was dropped by the Maroons for the series decider, were pasted all over social networking sites on Thursday showing him flipping 'the bird' - allegedly to the NSW bench.

Taylor watched the Maroons' 21-20 victory from the sidelines but was caught giving the finger in the 80th minute of the match, when Queensland were all but assured the win that secured them a seventh successive series.

His actions have embarrassed Queensland Rugby League (QRL) officials, who on Thursday sent him a sternly worded letter explaining such behaviour would not be overlooked.

"We don't condone this type of behaviour," QRL boss Rob Moore, who sent an official notice to the 23 year-old expressing the QRL's disappointment, told AAP on Thursday.

"We're very disappointed in Dave's actions," Moore said.

"As coach Mal Meninga and his staff have worked hard to instill the highest of team values and one of those is having the utmost respect for the opposition.

"This behaviour is out of character for players who have been involved in our Origin program.

"We have today written a letter to Dave expressing our disappointment."

The incident will no doubt take some of the gloss off Queensland's dramatic win in Petero Civoniceva's 33rd and final game for the Maroons.

Taylor has been going through a tough time of late and will no-doubt be disappointed his spur of the moment gesture has ignited further ill-feeling between the two camps.

He isn't the first Queenslander to react in such a way during an Origin fixture.

Maroons captain Gorden Tallis delivered the same gesture in 2002 to NSW fans in Sydney after scoring late to force an 18-18 draw.

There was an outpouring of outrage until it was revealed Tallis was responding to a derogatory sign directed at his mother.

Outside of rugby league there are no shortage of sportsmen to fall foul of officials for flipping the bird.

India batsman Virat Kohli was fined 50 per cent of his match fee after making an abusive gesture to supporters at the second Test against Australia at the SCG this year.

Carlton's Marc Murphy and Richmond full-forward Jack Riewoldt are among the AFL players to recently be fined for the same gesture.

Green Bay Packers linebacker A.J. Hawk was fined US$10,000 by the NFL last year for his one-finger gesture to fans in a win over the St Louis Rams.

- AAP