Tiffany Salmond recently shared with her social media followers that during her television career, she has harbored crushes on several NRL coaches.
The New Zealand media personality, known for her previous role as a sideline reporter for the New Zealand Warriors with Fox Sports, turned to Instagram to address whether she ever found herself attracted to the players.
However, Salmond humorously revealed in her Instagram story that it was actually the coaches who often caught her attention, admitting she frequently left interviews with them feeling a bit flustered and developing a “little crush.”
“It always amuses me when people assume I must be interested in the players,” Salmond shared on Instagram.
“I won’t deny appreciating some eye candy, of course.
“But honestly… if I was looking at anyone, it was definitely the coaches!”
Popular NRL broadcaster Tiffany Salmond (pictured) has revealed that several coaches ‘caught her eye’ while she was working as a sideline reporter for Fox
Salmond joked to fans on her Instagram story that it was the coaches who caught her eye the most
‘What can I say? I’m a big fan of a silver fox,’ she wrote, adding a winking face.
‘[It was] purely innocent… Just me walking away from a few coach interviews slightly flustered and with a new little crush,’ the former Fox Sports reporter said.
Salmond did not reveal the names of the coaches whom she had a crush on.
Two days ago, Salmond had also published a montage on the social media platform of herself speaking with several NRL players and coaches at games. During the clip, she was seen interviewing the likes of Craig Bellamy, Andrew Webster, Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad and Nicho Hynes.
‘Still can’t believe I was fired from the NRL for being too sexy,’ she wrote on the video, while adding the caption: ‘Had them all giggling though.’
In September, Salmond had also spoken out on how multiple NRL stars had tried to date her by sliding into her direct messages on social media.
The Kiwi presenter stated: ‘This has happened to me a few times and I’ve never received these types of messages from anyone else except NRL players.
‘It’ll be on TikTok and what they’ll do is send me a video to my DMs with no context, no message, no “hey”, nothing.
‘And it’s always these bizarrely sexually charged videos or like over-the-top “I’m attracted to you” type videos.’
She went on to describe some of the bizarre messages she had received, stating that one included a very explicit moaning soundtrack.
‘This is a very unique way of flirting that I’ve never experienced from anyone outside of the NRL, so I don’t know what’s going on here. Is this their locker room talk or do they think this works?’ Salmond said.
The hugely popular television presenter, who has also held roles with Kiwi outlet RNZ and Sky, was dropped from Fox’s NRL coverage at the start of the 2025 season.
She took to social media to claim that she was ‘sidelined’ by broadcasting bosses, while also calling for attitudes in the TV industry to change.
Initially, Salmond said she was confused over why she had been snubbed after repeatedly being asked by fans why she was no longer on their TV screens.
The broadcaster later added she believed television chiefs had dropped her because she was ‘too bold’ and ‘disruptive’.
The sports reporter then added that while she might not fit the typical stereotype of what broadcasters want in their presenters, the love and support fans had sent her was the reason why she believed viewers wanted someone ‘authentic’ like herself.
The television presenter, who has also held roles with Kiwi outlet RNZ and Sky, was dropped from Fox’s NRL coverage at the start of the 2025 season.
In 2024, Salmond found herself at the centre of Fox Sports’ Jake Duke’s high-profile split from Channel 7’s Grace Fitzgibbon.
It is understood that Fitzgibbon had dumped Duke after the Fox reporter had reportedly received multiple calls from Salmond during the ‘wee hours of the morning’. Salmond stated that she was unaware that Duke had a girlfriend when she rang him.
‘I think it’s time we talk about the elephant in the room. Where I am. What’s happening with my career. Or let’s be honest, what’s not happening,’ she said, during a video clip on social media.
‘It’s been a wild few months. The love, the DMs, the comments. The way in which how so many of you have been vocal about viscerally missing me.
‘Then you juxtapose that next to the fact that I’m still off air. The silence, not only is it disorientating – it just doesn’t make any logical sense.
‘When I really sat with that, I realised that this isn’t just about me. This is a broken system and a prime example of how the industry handles women who don’t fit the usual mould.’
In May, Salmond was targeted by a shocking deepfake photo attack after she had posted a picture of herself wearing a bikini on social media.
It came just weeks after NRLW star Jamie Chapman had reported that images of her had also been doctored and reposted online.
In May, Salmond was targeted by a shocking deepfake photo attack after she had posted a picture of herself wearing a bikini on social media
‘Within hours a deepfake AI video was reportedly created and circulated,’ Salmond said.
‘It’s not the first time this has happened to me, and I know I’m not the only woman in sport this is happening to.’
Salmond added: ‘You don’t make deepfakes of women you overlook. You make them of women you can’t control.
‘This is what it looks like when a woman commands space, attention and presence. It threatens people.
‘But I’m not threatened. I’m not flattered and I’m not going anywhere.
‘It’s not the first time, and I’m sure it won’t be the last.’
