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One of the biggest announcements in the NRL over the last few months has been Will Hopoate’s decision not to play on Sundays on religious grounds.
While the response hasn’t been unanimous, Hoppa has received a lot of praise for his courage, bravery and commitment to his principles.
It’s been great to see how open the NRL has become to players with different religious and cultural heritages.
More and more, rugby league feels like the most pluralistic of Australian sports.
Just two weeks ago, we discovered that African immigrants are set to become the next big Bulldogs demographic.
Following their stoush at Westpac Stadium, Josh Reynolds and Michael Lichaa posed for a bed selfie that seemed to make fun of the homophobic attitudes people project onto League.
At the same time, the Dogs have been front and centre in the White Ribbon campaign, which is designed to counter domestic violence and provide more of a space for female footy fans.
Far from the pariahs they were ten years ago, it’s clear that Canterbury-Bankstown are on their way to becoming one of the most open-minded and inclusive teams in the competition.
It’s no surprise, then, that Hoppa’s teammates have embraced his decision.
As a Dogs fan, however, I’m a little more sceptical.
While I think that the NRL should accommodate all lifestyle choices, there does come a point at which it starts to impact the game.
And Hoppa’s decision does have a really tangible impact.
Not playing on Sundays means that he’s going to miss a significant chunk of Bulldogs action, as well as the prospect of the grand final.
More importantly, perhaps, it’s hard for a team to build towards a finals berth with the knowledge that one of their key players may be out for the count.
On top of that, Hoppa is currently the Dogs’ no. 1.
It’s not a big deal to interchange one of the forwards, fullback is the heart and soul of the team.
Some may say that Hoppa is just a placeholder for Brett Morris.
But fullbacks can’t afford to be placeholders. If you put on the no.1 jersey, you need to show your team that you’re with them every step of the way.
At the very least, it would have been more opportune for Hoppa to make this announcement after Morris got back.
Speaking of timing, it’s particularly problematic that this requirement wasn’t brought up when Hoppa was negotiating his contract with Canterbury-Bankstown at the end of last year.
It’s one thing to be open about a religious requirement when signing with a new club.
Still, it’s hard not to be cynical.
Last year, there was a lot of scepticism surrounding his move from Parramatta to Canterbury, with many supporters questioning why the Dogs had to give Tim Lafai the boot to make space for him.
Add to that his fairly underwhelming appearances at both Parra and in the Blues and it felt as if his contract was pretty precarious. A coach with less gusto and determination than Des Hasler probably wouldn’t have pulled it off.
To both Des’ and Hoppa’s credit, the ex-Eel has really shone since arriving at Belmore.
While he was only intended as an interim fullback, he has become critical to the Bulldogs spine.
On top of that, he’s become a key part of Bulldogs culture.
Watching him come into his own and thinking about his past, you can’t help but sympathise with the guy.
Given what an embarrassment John Hopoate has turned out to be – both to the game and to his own religion – it’s no surprise that Hoppa Jr wants to pick up some of the pieces.
In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if this recent announcement was part of a long period of damage control.
When your own father is so undisciplined, it’s natural to respond by creating your own discipline, and it’s a testament to Hoppa that he’s managed to bring such a dignity and gravity to his game.
Out of all the players in the NRL, he has one of the cleanest and most wholesome media presences, which makes him an important PR symbol for the game at large.
Nevertheless, it’s not right to sign a football contract without disclosing that you won’t be able to play the full season.
What’s done is done, however, and there’s no point complaining about it.
At this point, the only alternative is for Hoppa to leave the team. As a Dogs fan, I don’t want to see that happen.
Nevertheless, I will feel a little more secure once Brett Morris returns from injury.
At the very least, I think the NRL management and media needs to curb its reaction a little bit.
A couple of weeks ago, some pundits were almost going so far as to thank Hopoate for such a show of bravery and conviction.
That’s going too far. If anything, it’s Hoppa who should be grateful to the NRL executive for showing such flexibility and openness to his request.
In a football code that’s so often haunted by player misconduct, it’s important that contracts are respected.
If DCE is a pariah for backing out of his Titans contract, and Tedesco was a pariah for backing out of his Raiders contract, then we shouldn’t be giving Hopoate too much praise for what effectively amounts to backing out of part of his contract.
At the end of the day, it’s an equity issue, pure and simple.
While the diversity and pluralism of the NRL is what makes it so great, there is also a bottom line in terms of player expectations.
Hopefully Hoppa will make up for those missed games with an extra special performance in those he does play.
Given some of his blistering moves this year, as well as his general work ethic, that shouldn’t be a problem.
Even with those Sundays off, it’s great to have him at the Dogs.
Here’s hoping he keeps building form and puts in a fantastic six months of football.
But here’s hoping, too, that players are more open about these requirements when actually signing their contracts.
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