Newcastle Knights halfback Ryan Stig has risen to fame infamy, after posting homophobic remarks on Twitter on October 23.

The post was believed to be a reaction to the passing of a same-sex marriage law in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) on October 22.

In essence, Stig called same-sex union a "spiritual disease" that he associated to an actual disease -- AIDS, which tended to deceive man's mind because of their scientific and rationalistic thinking.

I am seeing more and more deceived Christian leaders and individuals commenting on #gaymarriage here's my thoughts pic.twitter.com/QcMiv7Y3HX

— Ryan Stig (@Ryanstig) October 22, 2013


Since then, the Newcastle player has received several response from Twitter users, mostly negative ones, to wit:

@Conigman @Ryanstig If it looks & quaks like a duck, then its a gay hating #homophobe, trying to inflict his unsupported religious bigotry — PoliticsAustralia (@AustraliaVote) October 23, 2013

@AustraliaVote @superman2144 @Ryanstig did you find that on Wikipedia ?

Stig made his stint with the Knights' under-20 team in 2008 and 2009. He was thereafter signed by Newcastle in 2011, mainly to fill out a spot in the reserves.

He then made his mark after making an impressive debut against Penrith Panthers. However, he is still used as a spare player in case of injury to starting half-back James McManus.

Stig has played an average of 13 games during his two-year tenure with Newcastle.

The Knights has yet to sign Stig to an extension and this may be his way of making his presence felt to Newcastle's management instead of leaving business on the field.

All the negativity may see Stig move on from Newcastle, as he seems to be showing signs of desperation.

Furthermore, Newcastle has issued a statement to the effect that the club does not share Stig's opinions.

"The Newcastle Knights does not discriminate against any person or race whether they are a player, supporter or employee within our organisation. We offer equal opportunities for any person to play a role in our Club and do not support the views of Ryan Stig," a Newcastle Knights spokesperson told heraldsun.com.au.

"These comments are the personal opinion of Stig, based on his own beliefs and do not reflect those of the Club."

Needless to say, social media, such as Twitter, has become a very powerful tool to spark new things, which celebrities and ordinary people alike may utilize.

Stig, though not as famous as other players in his team, is still under the watchful eye of the public, as people, especially from his community, expect him to be a role model.

Like the cliche goes, an athlete should make his game do the talking, which Stig has momentarily forgot. Social media, as a rule, should not be resorted to, so as to avoid creating unnecessary fuss.