Gay league icon rips Manly pride rebel's 'fantasy'

2 years ago 86

Gay rugby league icon Ian Roberts has described Josh Aloiai arsenic "ignorant" and "hypocritical" aft the Manly Seven ringleader explained his viewpoint of the pride jersey controversy

Aloiai stunningly broke his soundlessness connected Tuesday, telling 9News' Emma Lawrence helium would again garbage to deterioration a pridefulness jersey if the Sea Eagles chose to reboot the initiative.

The 26-year-old besides revealed that his cheery sister "totally understood" his stance and was bemused astatine the media's tremendous involvement successful the story.

ULTIMATE GUIDE: Everything you request to cognize astir the 2022 Melbourne Cup

According to The Sydney Morning Herald, Roberts said Aloiai's crushed for rejecting the club's pridefulness jumper wasn't "deep enough".

The erstwhile rugby league hardman besides questioned Aloiai's admittance that his cheery sister was comfy with his determination to not deterioration the pridefulness jumper.

Roberts came retired arsenic cheery successful 1995, and to this time is the lone nonrecreational antheral rugby league subordinate successful the satellite to person done so.

"It does my caput successful listening to Josh talking astir his sister, [it doesn't] beryllium good with me," Roberts said.

"If she's been told, 'We emotion you but, you know, you can't bring your manner home' or, 'You can't beryllium who you are', that's dismissing her and who she truly is.

"I had a concern with my younger sister who I ever thought was wholly accepting of my sexuality. Just earlier the matrimony equality vote, my sister and I and my mum were having a chat, and my sister said she was going to ballot against it. That was a existent smack successful the look for me. In notation to Josh, he's surviving successful a phantasy world."

Roberts is besides maddened by Aloiai's strict stance that helium won't deterioration the pridefulness jumper oregon play successful a pridefulness circular successful 2023 oregon beyond.

"Why isn't helium going to deterioration the jumper? I inactive don't deliberation I've heard a heavy capable crushed for him to accidental that," Roberts said.

"He sounds precise ignorant. He says, 'We're accepting of each people. But I gully the enactment astatine wearing a rainbow'. He's saying helium is loving and Christian, but the acceptance isn't for everyone. It's contradictory and it's hypocritical."

Ian Roberts' affectional connection to Manly players

Aloiai besides revealed that his household had received decease threats.

"I accidental the happening that upset maine astir astir it initially was that helium and the different boys had decease threats," Roberts said.

"I truly bash anticipation that the nine oregon the NRL chases this up due to the fact that it's thing that's conscionable wholly unacceptable.

"I would accidental it's not unfamiliar for anyone successful the queer community, peculiarly my age. I mean, you lone spell backmost to the '80s and '90s and cheery radical were being thrown disconnected cliffs. So we've benignant of lived with that full unit and decease happening ... and due to the fact that helium is getting decease threats that is the crushed we request a pridefulness round, for inclusion and acceptance."

For a regular dose of the champion of the breaking quality and exclusive contented from Wide World of Sports, subscribe to our newsletter by clicking here!