BUT ... the big difference is .... Josh didn't try to force anybody to publicly wear a Christian jersey .. (against their wishes) ... supporting, or taking pride in his beliefs ... he simply had the courage to say no thanks.
We went through all this before, during and after the whole "Jerseygate" drama, so there's very little point in going over any of it again.
But… Nobody tried to force Josh to wear a "Gayness is Great" jersey. He, and the other Manly players who sided with him, were asked to wear a Manly jersey, and because that jersey had rainbow-coloured stripes on it, and was said to be promoting tolerance and inclusivity, they refused.
A team jersey is exactly that: a
team jersey. It is not a symbol of individual freedom and expression. If it has a sponsor's name on it, it does not mean every player fully endorses that sponsor or its product. If it attempts to promote a cause or initiative - say, Indigenous Round or the Women in League Round, or anything else - it does not mean that individual players support and endorse those causes. The clubs and the NRL endorse those causes. But the players? I'm certain plenty of anti-women and "Why do I have to be welcomed to my own bloody country?" types have worn Women in League and Indigenous Round jerseys over the years, and as far as I'm aware, none of them ever felt the need to stand up for their "culture" or "individual beliefs" and refused to wear those jerseys.
As for "courage", I'm not so sure that being anti-gay is all that courageous in this day and age. Or that it ever was. I suspect Josh, who fancies himself as a bit of "anti-woke" crusader, saw an opportunity to politicise something that should have never been politicised and took it. The club's uselessness, a controversy-loving media, and the NRL's weakness did the rest.
And what an absolute f@cking debacle it was. Nothing good came out of it.
But none of that was the sole responsibility or fault of Josh Aloiai, and we should try to remember his contributions on the field for the club. At his best, he was a hard-running, hard-hitting, no-nonsense forward - exactly the type of player we could have used a lot more of over the last couple of years. Injuries were never kind to him, and I'm not sure we ever really got full value out of him, but having to medically retire is a cruel end to a career.
I wish him happiness, health and fulfilment for the future. And I sincerely hope his next job does not require him to wear a uniform of any kind.
