NRL world divided over 'disgraceful' Manly pride jersey furore
Manly Sea Eagles coach apologises for handling of gay pride jerseys as seven refuse to play
The drama has caused an enormous stir throughout the footy world, but NRL 360 co-host Paul Kent said it was the Manly club's fault for not consulting players first, before making the decision to wear the pride jerseys.
“The Manly club did this without any consultation of the players, they did it without board approval. It’s basically a marketing decision and they’ve just assumed everything was ok," Kent said on Monday night.
“The club has imposed its own politics on these players and these players have inadvertently been embroiled in this scandal and they will be, hopefully, protected. But they will be under pressure now through no fault of their own.
“It’s an embarrassing look for the club and it’s a difficult one. This talk about inclusion, wearing the Manly jersey for me is inclusion.
“To inflict their own political views on the players who may not share that and are now being forced to deal with the consequences of that is a real oversight by the club and it’s something they should be embarrassed about.”
The issue has also left the NRL community fiercely divided, with some calling Manly's move "woke" and insisting social politics should play no part in sport.
While some fans have praised the players for standing up for their beliefs, others have brandished them "disgraceful" and hypocritical.
The Australian Christian Lobby (ACL) this afternoon said it was important that "we respect everyone for who they are".
ACL managing director Martyn Iles said: "The inclusive society is one that respects people's conscience and convictions.
"It is not inclusive to force someone to wear a political symbol. In fact, it's totally exclusive."
This is just my opinion.
