Poll added - Sea Eagles Everyone in League jersey

[Will on the hill]

Yes. I am forcing a topic on you guys that you have basically ignored. Team results first. Lives second. You all need to get the big picture. And as you all saw tonight we can still be highly competitive without these homophobes. And literally that is all they are

If you aren't a bot please answer this question.

Who was the first player to possess the "goat photos"?

 

[Will on the hill]

Well I think this answer should prove I am not a bot ****wit not that I really know the answer. My guess - Lewis Brown ha ha

You searched real hard and had a good guess but you are wrong. Try again.

 

[40 nil]

I know it is easier for you guys to ignore or to make light of this subject.

In a meeting with Scott Penn today, the players said they wish to meet with Ian Roberts. Hopefully, some time after that, a inclusive affirmation statement will be released by the players. Penn said that none of the players will be asked to move on or have their contracts affected by the issue.

 

[40 nil]

Did they ever think to ask this say a couple of days before the game and just pull on that dammed sexy jersey? Ian Roberts would have showed up within hours.

If you read my other posts, you would know that Scott Penn met with the players today & they have agreed to wear the Pride jersey next year. Their problem was a complete lack of consultation before the jersey release. If the club had communicated with them earlier, the whole debacle could have been avoided.

I don't think you know what their intentions were. It's only after hearing both sides of an argument is there a chance to really understand an issue.

 

[Brisbane Tragic]

I think this is actually quite a bit more revealing than it appears on the surface.

The reality is that group of players is obviously close enough to operate as an influential faction within the squad and ultimately negatively influenced the outcome of a game and possibly our season. I noticed earlier some (all?) are linked to Mario Tartak or his company Crown Sports Management, the only reason this is notable is because a lot of communication leaked to the media recently has involved people in this apparent group.

There are factions within every workforce with hugely different values, traditions and views yet the vast majority do not have such damaging internal disputes. Obviously not every workforce has the media focused on their individual opinions but not many blow up in such spectacular fashion when such a situation may arise.

I could be inexperienced and if so, please enlighten me.

I would think your assessment is spot on

 

[rj90]

In a meeting with Scott Penn today, the players said they wish to meet with Ian Roberts. Hopefully, some time after that, a inclusive affirmation statement will be released by the players. Penn said that none of the players will be asked to move on or have their contracts affected by the issue.

I hope this is the case. The players releasing a statement and acknowledging they support inclusivity would be a nice book end to this whole sh!t storm.

 

[rj90]

‘Love is love’: Cronulla prop Toby Rudolf backs pride round

Cronulla prop Toby Rudolf has backed the introduction of a pride round, which he says would be a special occasion for both rugby league and the LGBTQ community.

Rudolf, a player with big hair and an even bigger personality, is one of very few NRL stars to openly speak about his same-sex experiences, and said while he identified as heterosexual, “love is love, and I love to share it with everyone”.

Rudolf spoke to the Herald in the week seven Manly players refused to wear a rainbow jersey because it went against their religious beliefs and boycotted Thursday’s game against the Sydney Roosters.

As a result of the outcry, Australian Rugby League Commission chairman Peter V’landys said the NRL would consider a pride round.

Rudolf said he fully supported such a move and he thought it would be a popular step forward.

“I haven’t got caught up in the Manly situation,” he said. “What I will say is I was raised by quite a few gay and lesbian community members. My uncle is gay and my godmother is gay, and there’s so much love in that community.”

Rudolf is more than comfortable in his own skin, and has never been offended by homophobic comments. The Herald double-checked he was comfortable with our story before we published.

“Sexuality is very fluid. I’ve been out and kissed many gay men, kissed many straight women and kissed many gay women,” he said.

“I’m not a one-stop shop. Love is love, and I love to share it with everyone. You could say I’m open to both genders but only attracted to one of them.”

Still living in south Sydney, Rudolf said his favourite year in terms of his social life was while he was in the Rabbitohs’ lower grades in 2017.

“One message would go out in the group chat and you’d have all 30 blokes rocking up and all ready to go.

“When you have the likes of Sam Burgess, John Sutton and Greg Inglis leading the charge, you tend to listen to them.”

Rudolf lived with Liam Knight, is good friends with Knight’s new housemate, Rabbitohs and Queensland enforcer Jai Arrow, and still loves to call skipper Cameron Murray, “when he isn’t too busy trying to be famous”.

Rudolf has started up front in all but one game for the Shire club this season, and continues to thrive under coach Craig Fitzgibbon and learn from new recruits Cam McInnes and Dale Finucane.

“I’ve had a few good convos with Fitzy, we have a fruitful relationship, and he’s been happy with where I’m at,” Rudolf said.

“There are still times I’d love to be that Sam Burgess-style player who shoots out of the line and breaks someone in half. But that’s not my role. I try to be that workhorse and help the team wherever I can.

“I definitely feel fitter this year – I’m finding a bit more in the tank that I didn’t have in reserve in recent years.

“Dale and Cam have also been great. Dale is such a leader, he has so much experience he’s accrued over the years – he’s played in about 1000 grand finals – and Cam, who I went to school with, is encroaching on 150 NRL games.”

Seven Manly players pulled out of Thursday night’s match against the Roosters over the club’s decision to wear an “inclusivity jersey” as part of the women in league round.

Josh Aloiai, Jason Saab, Christian Tuipulotu, Josh Schuster, Haumole Olakau’atu, Tolu Koula and Toafofoa Sipley also didn’t attend the game following advice from the club about a possible backlash from the crowd.

 

[Disco]

Good on Toby

 

[ManEagle]

Ok, so what the likes of you do not understand is - that a gay person has sexual feelings from a very young age. Yes. From around 5,6,7 yrs. Yup. Just like a straight kid at that age they have a natural attraction. It is not a choice like you believe. We are born that way. What you are saying is actually quite insulting. You really have no idea do you? Just ask Ian Roberts you idiot. This ain't no novelty it is real life you ignorant human being. You have no idea

Man, if your trying to tell me that 5 6 and 7 year olds are generally thinking sex having sexualising feelings, I'm gunna tell you to look harder at their situation.
Be more at play than just who they are attracted sexually to.

I'm going to say, they are
Oviously being exposed to issues way beyond their years and are not having a very balanced young life, whether they be straight, gay or otherwise.
I would go so far as to say its bordering on a form of child abuse. Let kids be kids for £uck sake.

Finally your not going to get to far in any conversion on this topic if you are so closed minded yourself, not willing to allow people to grow and learn as human beings and calling everyone idiots and ****wits.

After a terrible week a good performance from the team last night and Wake up to this ****.

 

[47MVEagle]

What was with Fittler saying this was our 7th jersey this season?

Firstly, has he actually been counting or was he just repeating something he'd heard?

Secondly, every other club has had multiple jerseys this season too, haven't they? Maybe not 7 but surely at least 5 (home, away, ANZAC round, Indigenous round, Community round)?

Was Fiddler counting theirs as well?

 

[madmax]

Next season we hopefully have:

01. Tom Trbojevic
02. Jason Saab
03. Morgan Harper
04. Tolu Koula
05. Reuben Garrick
06. Kaeo Weekes
07. Daly Cherry-Evans
08. Josh Aloiai
09. Manase Fainu
10. Jake Trbojevic
11. Haumole Olakau'atu
12. Kelma Tuilagi
13. Josh Schuster

14. Karl Lawton
15. Taniela Paseka
16. Sean Keppie
17.

I know people have bagged this player and that player - but all fully fit (and in some instances trimmed right down), that's a pretty solid team. I also know I've left out Lachlan Croker which was a tough decision.

I think we need quality depth in the forwards. We'll have gone from the basement to the boardroom Hooker wise (3 availalable + GCKT).

Depth: 18. Toff Sipley, 19. Brad Parker, 20. Lachlan Croker, 21. Ethan Bullemor, 22. Ray Vaega, 23. Christian Tuipulotu, 24. Alec Tuitavake, 25. Kurt De Luis, 26. Jamie Humphreys & I'm happy to add 27. Zac Fulton (at a pinch).

In my view, we need a marquee backrower (after moving Jake to prop), and three QUALITY depth forwards (not Blacktown quality). Maybe go Angus Chrichton (or see if Panthers would release Liam Martin for a decent contract upgrade), and move Tuilagi back to the 17 position.

Mate after today's reveal in the media about the 7 players advising they will not backflip on wearing of the pride jersey next year I think & kinda hope that all 7 are gone & never come back. They can go play elsewhere. No one is bigger than the club These guys have now shown they don't deserve to wear the Maroon & White. I don't care about how great they are because they obviously now don't care about Manly.
As for Marty......good luck to him. He'll be missed no matter what anyone here says. At least he cared about our club by not boycotting the Roosters game like the others did.

 

[HK_Eagle]

Mate after today's reveal in the media about the 7 players advising they will not backflip on wearing of the pride jersey next year I think & kinda hope that all 7 are gone & never come back. They can go play elsewhere. No one is bigger than the club These guys have now shown they don't deserve to wear the Maroon & White. I don't care about how great they are because they obviously now don't care about Manly.

Yes. This ^^^

 

[KaZa]

Mate after today's reveal in the media about the 7 players advising they will not backflip on wearing of the pride jersey next year I think & kinda hope that all 7 are gone & never come back. They can go play elsewhere. No one is bigger than the club These guys have now shown they don't deserve to wear the Maroon & White. I don't care about how great they are because they obviously now don't care about Manly.
As for Marty......good luck to him. He'll be missed no matter what anyone here says. At least he cared about our club by not boycotting the Roosters game like the others did.

So your angry at them for standing up for their beliefs? How can you blame them but not the owners and club who put that in that position. The owners do nothing... We have our full team on. Why they chose such an important game to do it is beyond me.

 

[HK_Eagle]

So your angry at them for standing up for their beliefs? How can you blame them but not the owners and club who put that in that position. The owners do nothing... We have our full team on. Why they chose such an important game to do it is beyond me.

I have no idea of their position because they haven’t come out with anything to explain their position. Us numpty supporters just need to swallow that 7/10 of our players refused to play.

 

[madmax]

So your angry at them for standing up for their beliefs? How can you blame them but not the owners and club who put that in that position. The owners do nothing... We have our full team on. Why they chose such an important game to do it is beyond me.

Not at all......i respect they're beliefs but the arrogance & lack of an remorse or information from them shows me they don't give a $hit about Manly only themselves. These guys are now basically holding the club to ransom......for mine they are not worth it.

 

[KaZa]

Not at all......i respect they're beliefs but the arrogance & lack of an remorse or information from them shows me they don't give a $hit about Manly only themselves. These guys are now basically holding the club to ransom......for mine they are not worth it.

So your willing to let Haumole go? Koula? Aloiai who is now our forwards leader. With very little information available? Why do they need to explain themselves? It's their opinion. Whether it's hypocritical or not. We all have opinions and beliefs. Nobody should have to force you to believe or support anything if you don't want to. Our club has put these young men in an absolutely ridiculous position where they had to make a decision in a short space of time. We don't know if their families and friends put pressure on them to not play. Family.. their religion.. is more important to them than a game of football. Finals or no finals. It may not feel like it for you.. but it is to them. Whether we like it not. It is what it is. After a few weeks you will have forgotten about it. Making rash calls to get rid.. does nothing and would be acting on emotions which never ends well.

It's done now. Close the chapter and move on. Our club should leave the politics out of the football field. Let these young men do what they do best and play football.

 

[HoldenV8]

The way some of you are carrying on reminded me of this.....

 

[HK_Eagle]

So your willing to let Haumole go? Koula? Aloiai who is now our forwards leader. With very little information available? Why do they need to explain themselves? It's their opinion. Whether it's hypocritical or not. We all have opinions and beliefs. Nobody should have to force you to believe or support anything if you don't want to. Our club has put these young men in an absolutely ridiculous position where they had to make a decision in a short space of time. We don't know if their families and friends put pressure on them to not play. Family.. their religion.. is more important to them than a game of football. Finals or no finals. It may not feel like it for you.. but it is to them. Whether we like it not. It is what it is. After a few weeks you will have forgotten about it. Making rash calls to get rid.. does nothing and would be acting on emotions which never ends well.

It's done now. Close the chapter and move on. Our club should leave the politics out of the football field. Let these young men do what they do best and play football.

You make a lot of assumptions in your post and that is the point… what is their position? They failed to turn up for a game which is extraordinary. We deserve an explanation.

 

[KaZa]

You make a lot of assumptions in your post and that is the point… what is their position? They failed to turn up for a game which is extraordinary. We deserve an explanation.

You got one. You just didn't like it. They have every right to not wear it. We shouldn't have forced it. No other club did it five weeks before the finals. Blaming the wrong people here

 

[madmax]

So your willing to let Haumole go? Koula? Aloiai who is now our forwards leader. With very little information available? Why do they need to explain themselves? It's their opinion. Whether it's hypocritical or not. We all have opinions and beliefs. Nobody should have to force you to believe or support anything if you don't want to. Our club has put these young men in an absolutely ridiculous position where they had to make a decision in a short space of time. We don't know if their families and friends put pressure on them to not play. Family.. their religion.. is more important to them than a game of football. Finals or no finals. It may not feel like it for you.. but it is to them. Whether we like it not. It is what it is. After a few weeks you will have forgotten about it. Making rash calls to get rid.. does nothing and would be acting on emotions which never ends well.

It's done now. Close the chapter and move on. Our club should leave the politics out of the football field. Let these young men do what they do best and play football.

So it doesn't bother you that these young men have just about closed the door on our finals aspirations? So for you to say let them do what they do well & play football.....they didn't seem to give a $hit about playing football on Thursday night did they? What will happen next year when the Pride round is played again?