NSW State of Origin coach Brad Fittler has called for the NRL to reduce the number of special jersey teams they have after the Sea Eagles pride jersey drama.
The Manly story has dominated the rugby league landscape this week after seven players – Josh Aloiai, Jason Saab, Christian Tuipulotu, Josh Schuster, Haumole Olakau’atu, Tolutau Koula and Toafofoa Sipley – pulled out of the big game for religious beliefs
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The Sea Eagles lost 20-10 to the Sydney Roosters in a game that will be important for their top eight hopes as the team could drop to 11th by the end of the weekend.
But speaking of WWOS Freddy and the eighth Earlier in the week, Fittler pointed to the use of different shirts, which has exploded in recent times.
Fittler said he supported the boycotting players and that if the NRL were going to call it an “inclusion round, you have to include people who don’t believe in it”.
However, he argued that the constant use of different shirts was devaluing the clubs’ identities.
“The biggest issue for me is the shirts, how we abuse the shirts,” Fittler said.
“As a coach you try to sell the shirt; this is the history of the club, great players have worn this shirt.
“This (Pride shirt) is the seventh Manly has worn this year.”
It’s just the tip of the iceberg. Photo: Manly DigitalFont: supplied
Manly’s 2022 shirts include the home and away shirts, the Anzac, indigenous, retro and community ‘Everybody in the League’ shirt, which has been at the center of all the rage this week. And they are far from the only team with multiple different jerseys.
“I think we’re filtering out all the causes that they’re trying to do by trying to get a few more shirts out of them,” Fittler continued.
“We wonder why everyone is so fleeting with their support and fleeting with everything when clubs can no longer have a home shirt when this is the seventh shirt Manly wears.”
Johns lamented: “Politics in sport.”
Fittler replied: “Get out of it.
“He’s only got a home shirt so a kid can know which shirt to wear in football. I think the League needs to lower itself on that.
“You know home and away, and the indigenous shirt, that’s it. Don’t touch your shirt. It should be sacrilege.”
Speaking about the game, Nine commentator Mat Thompson said it was “strange” that Manly hijacked the “Women in League” round for the position.
But Fittler also said it was unlikely to lead to a rift in the squad despite seven players pulling out amid the furore.
“He (Hasler) realizes that supporting the players will give them a better chance of making it to the semifinals than not supporting the players,” Fittler said.
“It would confuse some of the other players because they probably don’t imagine that a few colors on a shirt would mean that much.”
Johns added: “It’s hard to understand if you’re not that religious. It’s hard to get into how they think and what it means to them.”
Brad Fittler has rejected the move. Photo: YouTube Source: Canal 9
Manly skipper Daly Cherry-Evans spoke after his side’s loss and while he was proud of the performance, he wasn’t thrilled with the position the Sea Eagles had put themselves in.
“I think we have to be very careful about how much we do to players to market the game,” Cherry-Evans said.
“If you look at a dressing room in an NRL team, it’s very diverse and it’s very inclusive, so I just wonder how much we have to do as athletes to push that because we’re already a lot of who we are. You’re trying to represent the that the club is trying to get you to represent.
“I think at some point we have to understand that sport is pretty inclusive and it’s not perfect, it has limits, but from my time in the game, it does represent a lot of what we’re talking about tonight.
“Unfortunately, when people put themselves in a position to have to do something they don’t want to do, I think that’s when you see positions like the ones we had tonight.”
The drama has sparked plenty of discussion this week and the vitriol penalty has been directed at the Manly 7.
Today’s Allison Langdon christened Friday as a Manly supporter, claiming she was “dirty that they didn’t finish last night and didn’t put the team first”.
Balmain legend Benny Elias said it had started an important conversation.
“Now we’ve seen politicians talking about pride and equality and it’s great, love is love,” he said.
“We have all met. It was great joy for people who follow the game of rugby league last night.
“It has brought a very, very strong message to the community.”
It also meant a lot to certain fans. Photo: Tim PascoeSource: News Corp Australia
Former Manly star and first openly gay rugby league player Ian Roberts attended with radio star and Gotcha 4 Life founder Gus Worland.
Worland said it was an emotional night as the couple sat together.
“I sat there with Ian Roberts and we hugged and we cried, and I said, ‘We can do good with this money.’ That’s what it’s all about,” Worland said.
“Ian Roberts is a star and I love him and last night he was crying uncontrollably at some stages. This is such a huge movement. The conversation has started.”