My final say. You don't have to read it, obviously.
I'm not at all comfortable with seven players deciding they would let the team and the fans down based on a principle for which they had a massive out.
The Club (not the media, social or otherwise) labeled it an 'Everyone in League' jersey. Those words are on the collar. They could have easily put that case to their churches, managers, whatever. They chose to believe it was about homosexuality and only homosexuality and they were not about to take the field in that jersey no matter what they were told or could see with their eyes. This is deeply homophobic. Deeply.
There was no space in their beliefs to consider any kind of inclusivity involving the gay community. They did not think to themselves that there might be a kid in their community/church/fan base who might be further ostracised due to their refusal to say homosexuals are allowed to exist.
Even if the Club had stated that it was a pride jersey (see above, they didn't), no one would have been asking them to put their dicks up each others bottoms, not just because their own heads were already too far up there, but because it was a statement of inclusion rather than an instruction to change their lives.
I'm also disappointed in the savagery of much of the commentary on here. Many just wanted to call other posters names or went full Fox News/2GB without any reasoned argument or attempted understanding. At least I got to block a few dribblers (see, I can use their terms as well!). Three strikes and they were out.
I'm all for people's right to believe what they want, go to any place of worship, and do whatever they want as long as it causes no harm. I believe this would have caused harm to some. Not me. Been through the battle, came out the other side.
I believe the Club got it 100% wrong. They should have spoken to the players, the RLPA, the NRL, and gotten a whole bunch of educational programs going, including a chat with Ian Roberts, and gotten to the point where everyone was happy to proceed together.
Others have suggested that this approach could never have worked with these religious fundamentalists but every attitude moves eventually. The racists and sexists now have to whisper their bile to each other behind closed doors.
I adore the jersey. Lovely design. I will support Manly until the day I die but I will not cheer for the seven. Sure, in my home I might yell "run, dickhead" and at the ground "run!!!", but I will never cheer them individually again. They hurt our club by withdrawing their services and they made impressionable young gays feel bad about themselves. Unforgivable.