Des Hasler swept his Farrah Fawcett locks from his forehead and arched his fingers into a steeple like a famous lecturer at Harvard Polytechnic and addressed a mass of media in a tight little room the back of Brookvale Oval.
Then he tiptoed through a minefield in a culture war.
He was impassioned. Into it. There were apologies all round. He was Oprah with the cars. You get an apology. And you get an apology.
He quoted a Harvard political scientist, a mate with autism and Mahatma Gandhi.
It was nutty professor as performance artist. It was odd, on occasion. You wondered did he have a vision of his projected self.
Yet it was real. It was no sterile, corporate, box-ticking exercise. It was heart-felt. It was compelling. It was even a bit cool.
And it was as good as the club could do given circumstances that trumped news of a bunker howler, a gouging allegation and a half-time toilet vape by a tired old Titan.
To recap: on Sunday night, Manly management announced that to commemorate their match against Sydney Roosters in Women In League Round the players would wear a jersey featuring the rainbow colours of inclusion instead of the white hoops of their heritage jumper.
(Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)
And everyone lost their freaking mind, not least seven of the club’s more religious players who threatened to pull out of the game, and then did, because they didn’t want to promote “gay” stuff because it’s against their religious, cultural and spiritual beliefs though playing in a ground named for a brewery in a jumper sponsored by a corporate bookmaker with teammates accused of domestic violence doesn’t offend sensibilities, it appears.
It’s a culture war that’s been coming. It’s an elephant in the war room. The National Rugby League comprises over 40 per cent Pasifika players, many of whom hold religious beliefs that are – let’s call a spade a bloody shovel – homophobic.
And thus, when they found out on the telly the colours on the jersey they’d be wearing against the Roosters on Thursday night, Jason Saab, Josh Aloiai, Josh Schuster, Christian Tuipulotu, Haumole Olakau’atu, Tolutau Koula and Toafofoa Sipley were offended and miffed, it seems, that they weren’t consulted and would be forced to wear kit which presumably would see them immediately turn gay, perhaps, or at least celebrate and promote a culture that their Bible, maybe, says … something bad about, I don’t know.
Anyway, for inclusivity’s sake, the opinions and beliefs of these fellows – dubbed “key stakeholders” – needs to be massaged by Manly, even if those beliefs are the antithesis of inclusion, at least when it comes to people who embrace that rainbow flag.
Tricky enough stuff for a corporate spin-master. Yet Hasler owned it.
“We are gathered here today,” he began like a pastor at a teenage wedding where the old folks wished them well, “to apologise for a significant mistake made by the Manly Sea Eagles Football Club.”
The intent of the rainbow jersey, according to Hasler, was “to represent diversity and inclusion”.
The “symbolic colours of pride would represent all groups who feel marginalised and face discrimination”.
The jersey’s intent was to “support the advocacy of human rights pertaining to culture, ability and LGBQT movements”.
All very good, right? Why they did it in Women In League Round, Des did not explain.
And then he apologised to everyone. The Australian Rugby League Commission, the NRL, the other 15 NRL clubs, the fans, the kids, the gays, anyone who embraced the rainbow flag of inclusion.
He apologised to his staff and players, including the seven who don’t want to play because the rainbow flag means something bad.
(Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)
“We accept your cultural beliefs and hope you can accept our apology,” Hasler said.
Then those long locks were swept back again, the fingers went into full steeple and Hasler spoke for 10 minutes straight.
He quoted Harvard professor Robert Putnam’s “extensive work about establishing a civil society” and the need to have cooperation and trust.
“If we had suitably cooperated with key stakeholders, both internally and externally, we would have cultivated, hopefully, a more suitable trust that would have ideally led to our action,” Hasler said.
Christian Tuipulotu, Tolu Koula and Daly Cherry-Evans celebrate the winger’s try. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)
Manly management and Hasler, it appears, believe they should’ve tried to talk the religious types into wearing the rainbow colours because it would be nice, and because Jesus, possibly, and something-something.
There followed a yarn about his Autistic mate who embraces the rainbow flag as a symbol of his neuro diversity and who was angry at the club because it had stuffed up awareness for diversity, inclusion and human rights.
But then this mate reflected on how intolerant people have been towards him. And how he had been marginalised when he communicated poorly. And that he couldn’t stay mad at the club for making a mistake.
Ian Roberts (Anton Want/Getty Images)
There was a quote from Gandhi and admiration for “ornament” Ian Roberts, his old Manly teammate from the 1990s.
Then he said thanks, flat-batted journalists’ questions until the media manager called time, and exited stage left: boil excised, pores cleansed, club absolved, culture war in abeyance (for now).
And the Manly Sea Eagles Football Club was carried out of the press room on his robust little shoulders and bandy little legs in better nick than when it went in.
And those rainbow jerseys? They’ve sold out.
Aiden
Guest
You'd have to be into conspiracies to even think this might be a conspiracy. It's a pretty low bar to get this over the hurdle of simple critical thinking. 'Ok, what's on the agenda today. ' 'We are getting a lot of stick over the referees thing.' 'Ok, well I have a plan for that. Some while back, just in case something came up, I convinced the Manly Board to have a rainbow round. Even got them to find a designer and order a bunch of guernsey's that they also convinced Rebel to put in the shops. Lots of planning in this one. Deals done. You know, just in case we needed to create massive contoversy for one club so as to put a blanket on some other controversy, like this referee thing that will be forgotten in a week. I could not be sure what the players would do, but I took the gamble and now my forward thinking has paid off.' Strokes white cat. 'Great plan boss.'
JGK
Roar Guru
Roberts, Mario, Davo, Boyle… Ye Gods!
Simon G
Roar Rookie
Irrelevant how so? Has any of the 7 stated that they aren’t playing because of gay people specifically? Or is that just assumed?
Nick
Roar Guru
if anyone can point out the anti gambling bits I’d be happy to read them You've missed the point. Christianity is much more about following the instructions of one book. If it was just about the bible, there would be one single church. But there isn't. There's hundreds, each with their own practicising code. The fact is that for at least 5 of these 7 (i've done the research of which church they belong to), they belong to churches who unequivocally ban it's members from gambling and drink. Unequivocal. They go beyond the bible. (at least) Two are in the Wesleyan church: they have an absurdly strict stance on drinking and gambling. None. At. All. One is a mormon. No drinking. No gambling. No playing on a Sunday. So, the point is very much valid. They can't get to pick and choose the rules of their church that suits them.
Brian Westlake
Roar Rookie
Not a worry Adam
Hypocrisy 101
Guest
These comments make me laugh. Once you got do the tolerance highway you must be tolerant of everyone's opinions you don't get to pick and choose sorry. As for the whataboutism with the Bible jebus himself made wine and if anyone can point out the anti gambling bits I'd be happy to read them. Come on people let's be tolerant of all not just whatever suits your own agendas or persuasions.
Nick
Roar Guru
I don't think the church denies they exist mate. The church spends a disproportionate amount of time and effort not only acknowledging their existence, but how "evil" they are and how they are going to hell.
Adam
Roar Guru
:thumbup: thank you for clearing it up for me
Brian Westlake
Roar Rookie
Fakaleiti/Vakasalewalewa... Right throughout the islands. It's there in every one of the cultures. The church cannot deny these fine and lovely people exist within their cultures. These are young men that would never say anything to their mothers/grandmothers/ aunties against them.
Mungo69
Roar Rookie
Does anyone else find the timing of this issue interesting? The NRL were busy digging themselves into a huge hole around the farcial ending of the Tigets Cowboys game and then this issue is leaked and the bunker discussion disappears. I am usually not into conspiracies but some things are just too coincidental.
Nick
Roar Guru
An interesting and irrelevant pivot. The 7 aren't boycotting because of trans stuff. They are boycotting because they believe in puerile homophobia. Nothing more.
Nick
Roar Guru
You'd say Jason Saab is not a rock solid first grader?
Adam
Roar Guru
Are they handling it better though? Considering they had the Folau case as a precedent?
Nick
Roar Guru
I don't see why the marketing team is coming under such criticism. It's been a very successful marketing ploy. All the jerseys have been sold. If anything, criticise them for under ordering on the jerseys. People will still watch the game on Thursday, possibly even more now. Society has moved on from religious conservatism.
Dirk
Guest
(bottom lip trembling).....bbbbut "it's virtue signaling, wokeness, 'don't shove things down my throat', PC gone maaaad, this isn't inclusive" plus a bunch more weak and pathetic excuses from the freedumb brigade.
Adam
Roar Guru
I thought Fa’afafine was more so in the Samoan nations? So if someone is Tongan or Fijian they might not be familiar with it?
Bonza
Roar Rookie
Wow - that's right. What a dark story that is and no, best not to confront Dylan's sister.
Andrew01
Roar Rookie
I can honestly say cheering against him as a player, then as coach of Manly (to a lesser extent the Bulldogs), I have never had any sympathy or empathy for Des Hasler. I certainly did yesterday. I initally heard a grab from the press conference and thought – what a beat up – he was just reading a statement written by a PR person. But watching the whole thing later, it was written by him (maybe touched up in a few places) and he was being genuine. I feel for him having to front up when no one else at that club would (though imagine if Peter Peters was still talking to the media on behalf of Manly!!) and he is stuck with having to mend what will be a fractured dressing room through no fault of his own. That said, while he isn’t to know that 7 of his players would do this to him and his team, he should have known the club would screw him over. And consider this for a rock and a hard place now for Hasler – A few of these 7 players are not exactly rock solid established first graders. So if Hasler in future weeks picks another prop over Sipley or another winger over Saab, is he risking being accused of discrimination?
Bonza
Roar Rookie
Think that's the more well-known version. In Long Kiss Samuel Jackson uses the "you and umption" version - watched it for the umpteenth time on Sunday so it came to mind.
Adam
Roar Guru
I think he handled it well also. It might actually resonate more with the players having Des and DCE front the media rather than a suit