Sporting trailblazer Ian Roberts has described Manly Seven ringleader Josh Aloiai as “ignorant”, sparking a public war of words.
Roberts says Aloiai’s reason for not wearing the club’s pride jumper isn’t “deep enough”. Roberts also questioned Aloiai’s revelation that his gay sister was comfortable with Aloiai’s decision not to wear the pride jumper.
But the Manly and Samoa prop has had enough of the criticism. “I’m over it,” Aloiai said. “We are the ones being fair here, but we have copped most of the flak.”
Roberts, who in 1995 became the first high-profile Australian sportsperson to come out as gay, watched Aloiai’s interview on Nine News during the week, and said it had an immediate impact on him.
“I suppose the thing that upset me most about it initially was that he and the other boys had death threats,” Roberts said. “I really do hope that the club or the NRL chases this up because it’s something that’s just totally unacceptable.
“I would say it’s not unfamiliar for anyone in the in the queer community, particularly my age. I mean, you only go back to the ’80s and ’90s and gay people were being thrown off cliffs. So we’ve kind of lived with that whole violence and death thing … and because he is getting death threats that’s the reason we need a pride round for inclusion and acceptance.”
Ian Roberts and (inset) Josh Aloiai.Credit:Wolter Peeters, Getty
In the interview, Aloiai said his sister supported his decision to boycott Manly’s match against the Roosters rather than wear the pride jersey.
“It does my head in listening to Josh talking about his sister, [it doesn’t] sit well with me,” Roberts said. “If she’s been told, ‘We love you but, you know, you can’t bring your lifestyle home’ or, ‘You can’t be who you are’, that’s dismissing her and who she really is.
“I had a situation with my younger sister who I always thought was totally accepting of my sexuality. Just prior to the marriage equality vote, my sister and I and my mum were having a chat, and my sister said she was going to vote against it. That was a real smack in the face for me. In reference to Josh, he’s living in a fantasy world.”
Roberts is incensed at Aloiai’s insistence that he won’t wear the pride jumper or play in a pride round next season.
“Why isn’t he going to wear the jumper? I still don’t think I’ve heard a deep enough reason for him to say that,” Roberts said. “He sounds very ignorant. He says, ‘We’re accepting of all people. But I draw the line at wearing a rainbow’. He’s saying he is loving and Christian but the acceptance isn’t for everyone. It’s contradictory and it’s hypocritical.”
Aloiai was flying back from England after suffering a tournament-ending knee injury at the World Cup. He took issue with the critics of his stance on the pride jersey.
“They’re the only ones that create such an uproar when you don’t agree with them and want to support their agenda.
“We don’t Bible-bash and force people to share the same beliefs and support us. We are the ones being fair here, but copping the most flak for it. I’m over it. I see people preach inclusivity but then as soon as we’ve made a stand of faith, they’ve segregated and ostracised us. You tell me who’s the non-inclusive ones.”
Manly lose Rahme
Des Hasler’s sacking has cost the Sea Eagles a man who was once prepared to part with $20 million to buy the club.
After 22 years as a volunteer gear steward with the club, Sam Rahme is walking away. Rahme is the owner of Affinity Diamonds and is a mad Sea Eagles man.
Rahme is a close friend and long-time confidant of Hasler, and didn’t like the way the club handled the situation that led to his departure. Hasler was sacked by Manly just a year after taking the team to within one win of the grand final. He is locked in a dispute with the club over his payout, with Hasler after $1 million.
Des Hasler was axed by Manly with one year still remaining on his contract.Credit:Nick Moir
Rahme is also known to be close to Peter Peters and the Fulton family. He is prepared to offer Kristie Fulton, who was sacked from her post at the club last week, a job should she fall on hard times. Rahme was so passionate about Manly that he was willing to buy them.
“Three years ago I was approached by Rick Penn, who called me to a meeting at Sydney Yacht Club,” he said. “He asked me to find a buyer of the team for $20m. He was ready to sell. I came back to him within weeks with $15m as our first offer, and kept a further $5m to rebuild the club.
“At the meeting to table the offer, the Penn family brought along an accountant from PwC who told us the price was going up to $27m. We walked away. I have moved on from that now. It’s the team I’ve grown up loving and supporting. I wish them well and will support from a distance.”
Burgess is back
It’s a significant week for the Rabbitohs. One of their favourite sons, Sam Burgess, makes his long-awaited return to the fold as an assistant coach. Burgess is going to be a valuable assistant to Jason Demitriou and will help provide even more steel to the Souths set-up.
Burgess has been through a personal hell in recent years but appears to be coming through the other side following the sad breakdown of his marriage and then a media campaign to destroy him publicly and privately.
As a result of that campaign and some poor decisions on his part, Burgess has barely seen his kids in recent years. But he posted some lovely shots of them together on Instagram during the week.
The Souths coaching unit was already impressive, with John Morris and Ben Hornby helping Demitriou, but now it’s one of the strongest in the NRL.
Coaching intrigue
The Nathan Brown link to Shane Flanagan’s old roster management job at the Dragons is an interesting one.
Firstly, because Brown has committed himself to a role at Parramatta to assist in their pathways program. And secondly, because Brown examined the possibility of returning to the Dragons not long ago and received only a lukewarm response.
Brown is certainly a man in demand but he is also keen to honour the commitment he made to the Eels.
Flanagan’s move to the Sea Eagles is a fascinating one. His agent, Wayne Beavis, is fearing for the future of another of his clients, Anthony Griffin, at the club Flanagan is leaving. It’s fair to say if Flanagan was a contender for the Dragons job he would have stuck around. There are plenty at Manly who think Flanagan is a better option than incoming coach Anthony Seibold.
Sonny Bill Williams in training for the fight with Mark Hunt.Credit:Edwina Pickles / SMH
Hunt trims 25kg to face Williams
If Sonny Bill Willams thinks he is in for an easy payday when he fights Mark Hunt at the Aware Super Theatre in Darling Harbour on Saturday evening, he needs to adjust his approach.
Hunt’s weight loss would do The Biggest Loser proud. He was 157 kilograms and eating cheesecakes on his couch when Khoder Nasser called on him to fight Williams.
“Sonny called me out and I have prepared for this fight like no other,” the former UFC star said. “I have lost 25 kilos. My training camp in Thailand has been very good and I have cut no corners.”
Medal mystery for Fifita
Andrew Fifita retired from the NRL this week with one question from his career still unanswered – how he missed out on winning the Clive Churchill Medal for his incredible 2016 grand final performance. “Luke Lewis is one of my best mates and someone I have so much respect for – I’m never going to question why he won it,” Fifita said.
But those close to him say the Sharks prop received phone calls from someone who was connected to the process of the medal being awarded. The message was clear – Fifita was not to win the award because of his controversial build-up to the decider, when he openly supported one-punch killer Kieren Loveridge.
I asked Todd Greenberg this week if an edict had been issued regarding Fifita and the medal. “Never would do that and never did that,” he said.
Xerri ripe for return
Bronson Xerri is taking steps towards his comeback from a four-year drug ban, most significantly undergoing drug tests to prove he is no longer using the performance-enhancing substances that got him banned.
Xerri is being tested once a month off his own bat. He knows what has been said about him since he admitted to using banned drugs in an interview with me soon after his positive test. He owned his poor judgment and is keen to make it back to the top of the game. Being tested every month will make him more attractive to clubs and shut down any innuendo surrounding his return.
The Bulldogs are looming as a genuine option for Xerri. Canterbury general manager Phil Gould knows Xerri through his son coming up at the same time in the Sharks juniors. He can sign with a club in November.
Rising Tah at Dragons
The Dragons have been accused of being a dad’s army outfit, but they appear to have snared a young player worth getting excited about.
Rising Waratahs star Savelio Tamale was chased by leading clubs, including Manly and the Roosters, but the Dragons have snared him. Having seen some highlights, Tamale’s size and step should help him as he tries to make the big time. He signed on after a lunch with Anthony Griffin and his family at Barangaroo.
