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.
steveng
Roar Rookie
Who cares? And it won't make a difference anyway. If he wants Sundays off its the Dogs troubles not the NRL's even though we could have more players taking religious days off. If that happens just cut it out off his/their salaries, simple.
Chris Love
Roar Guru
If Damien is correct that this was agreed upon in the contract negotiations then this is dead and buried. Maybe he was tabled an offer and once this came up the offer was revised down based on the number of Sunday games the Bulldogs had this year and a similar agreement for subsequent years? This is purely a contractual issue not a religious one. Where this could become a mess is if a player negotiates a contract then advises later that they wouldn't be fulfilling 100% of said contract on religious grounds then screamed discrimination when they were either told no or the contract torn up. Even worse would be a player being tabled a contract, telling the employer that certain conditions couldn't be met on religious grounds and claiming discrimination if the employer wanted to revise their offer based on that. I can see it happening and I am sure it's already happened in other industries already.
Sleiman Azizi
Roar Guru
Not the way some fans behave... But regarding your point, does anyone here seriously believe that Hopoate will be paid for not meeting obligations that were not agreed to? Geez.
Bearfax
Guest
Sport is a profession not a belief. People are paid to meet employment obligations. Religion is a choice issue
Julieanne Levick
Guest
Good news - your not!
Sleiman Azizi
Roar Guru
A complete non-issue. Unless the religion of sport is discriminated against.
Damien
Roar Guru
Appreciate the effort you put in putting a balanced argument forward Billy. However, your issue should be with the Bulldogs, not Will. Will's decision to have Sundays off was raised during Will's contract negotiations and the Bulldogs had full knowledge of this situation when the contract was signed. The Bulldogs gave Will permission to have Sundays off so any issues should directed at the Bulldogs Head Office. The potential issue was that Des expected Will to tell his team mates about the situation and it seems like Will was expecting or hoping that the team mates would have found out themselves or that the Bulldogs/Des would have delivered the message to them. Whether Will wants Sunday's off because of his religious beliefs or because he wants to play a round of golf doesn't matter to me. Fact is he will miss games and practice. Is he a good enough player to grant this exemption ? The Bulldogs seem to think so..
William Dalton Davis
Roar Rookie
That's apples and oranges.
Julieanne Levick
Guest
Your spot on Will acted with ? integrity this guy misinformed and not researched ...
Paul
Guest
What about the fans? If I were a bulldogs fan, this would not go down well
Bearfax
Guest
Well said Billy. I'm not a Canterbury fan but I appreciate your attempt to be rational rather than parochial about this issue. I agree with your sentiments. I have nothing against anyone practicing their beliefs as long as they dont interfere with the rights and freedoms of others. You can believe in the tooth fairy as far as I'm concerned as long as its personal and is kept within your personal life and shared commitment with others of your faith. But when it impinges on the wider community I take umbrage, and what you have stated clearly puts forward the case. What the Canterbury administration and the NRL have not understood here, is that this has opened the door to all sorts of religious traditions that can now impact on the League, because a precedent is being set. Our society has gradually dispensed with much of the religious hang over of extreme Christian beliefs that are in contradiction with the rights and freedoms of people in our community. We've retained much that is good in our laws but we've used common sense to recognise where a belief that is a hangover from more dogmatic and inequitable traditions needs to be eliminated, such as in the examples of homosexuality, abortion, seeing women in service to their husbands etc. We cant now fall back into accepting dogmas in our general community just to appease certain religions in the so called cause of tolerance and acceptance. Young Will's issue I know is minor and can probably be handled, but its not about this one issue. Personal beliefs should never be opposed but they must remain personal and those living in this society must accept that our society is based on equity, and to achieve that we all have to sacrifice some personal beliefs within the community as a whole and accept standards designed to ensure we are all treated equally .
The lazy Phoenix
Roar Pro
Father John played Rugby LEAGUE for Australia
American Dave
Guest
Probably not helping the discussion here, but I seem to recall Des saying Hoppa had raised it with the club during negotiations.
fazed
Roar Rookie
Many years back in the opposition code of Rugby Union former Priest John Cootes was a very handy player in both the local comp as well as representing Australia, he was a very good player but he also would not play any game on a Sunday. The ARU was advised of that & if he was picked to tour or play for the country he was not available for Sunday matches. This was accepted at the time, & its an issue that has never really come up until the last Hoppa decision. The NRL has players of many religious beliefs, including Islam, Mormon & other Christian beliefs, I have witnessed where players such as SBW, El Mazri fast on the recognized days, some have been weak as a result but they have lifted in their game when playing. There are many Mormon belief players in the NRL, none of whom object to playing on Sunday. Same with those who are Christian in belief from other denominational links. When the resigning at Parramatta talks had begun, he had said to the club that he wanted exemption from Sunday playing, would think it also included training or any other RL activity, the club refused the request. I am a retired Minister of religion, & have some understanding of the Mormon faith so cannot comment regarding the strictness or other regarding the Sunday playing, however from a pure Biblical position, as RL is this players primary job as such & means of financial support, there are two aspects that should govern his decision, 1: honesty, to this if he wanted the exemption that should have been negotiated at the time of his contract being formulated, & a clause allowing for the exemption put in the contract. If no clause then he is obliged to honor the play & train requirements, if its in the contract he has the right to the exemption but the club should have made it public, also the NRL would possibly need to ratify it as it could set a new precedent. 2: This is the only other point where the Bible gives direction. Work 6 days & one day of rest. While there is the mention that the 7th day, which in old calendar is Saturday, its to be a Holy day as God rested on that day. As we use the New Testament first day of the week Sunday for worship, then all that is changed is the day associated with Worship. However, its been a very long acceptance by all the mainstream Christian Denominations that people who are required to work as part of their normal employment to work shifts including weekends are not prevented from doing so. In fact a minister of religion has the Sunday as his main work day. I knew one old worker who would not work on Sundays, but as a condition of employment it was part of the award, if he had no choice but to work on a Sunday, as an additional day (under the award) then he would get the paymaster to work out what he earnt for that day, & gave that sum to his Church as a free will offering. These I believe are the criterias set out in the Bible for the individual believer. Base on my understanding, its something that is between the club, NRL & the player to agree with, but it should be done openly & honestly I am not making any judgement or the like regarding Will's decision.
turbodewd
Guest
Will Hopoate will soon find himself without a team. He can believe in Zeus and the toothfairy, but if he isnt there on sunday his teammates wont be impressed nor will most of the Bulldogs fans. He can stick to his principles all he likes. If I was in charge of recruiting for an NRL team Id offer him a very modest contract and make him a bench player.
This is God...frey Jones
Guest
It's always funny how atheists talk about religion more than anyone else. Leave it between Canterbury (his employer) and him to reach an agreement on what he's paid and when he plays.
Emcie
Roar Guru
Is amazing how many assumptions are being thrown around as facts, some people should just stick to reading the telegraph
up in the north
Roar Rookie
Are you certain that he did not advise the club of his desire to not play on Sundays?
Red Dog
Guest
The problem here is one being exposed on a much larger scale in society in general , where people are exploiting 18c of the discrimination act to bully society and force their views ( in more and more cases radical ) on the general public . Commonly known as " The thin edge of the wedge" . Some religions are passive in society but one in particular is extremely aggressive and uses the 18c like a shield for its promotion and advancement . Make no mistake my friends the tolerance shown will in time be like the generosity shown to an old friend in trouble who turns around and destroys your life as a result . Hoppa knows the Bulldogs are on shaky ground if they get involved in legalities and that in itself is an indication of his contempt for the club.
Chui
Guest
Hasn't this dead horse been flogged enough?