NRL 2022: Manly coach Des Hasler says seven players who wouldn’t wear pride jersey will be back next game

An emotional night at Manly after a heavy week ended with some positive news from coach Des Hasler.

Kieran Foran runs out wearing Manly’s pride jersey. Picture: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

Manly coach Des Hasler insists the seven players who sat out Thursday's emotional loss to the Sydney Roosters will make a seamless return to the NRL.

But he also admitted the game and his club still had a long way to go to fully embrace total inclusiveness.

Josh Aloiai, Jason Saab, Christian Tuipulotu, Josh Schuster, Haumole Olakau’atu, Tolu Koula and Toafofoa Sipley will all be available for Friday night’s clash with Parramatta after stepping down from the Roosters game following cultural and religious concerns over Manly’s use of the gay pride rainbows on its jersey.

Asked what sort of reception the group can expect when they return, Hasler replied: “I think it will be sympathetic. We need to be honest and have some accountability.

“As long as were take some learnings and grow. It’s never going to be (fully) solved, but we certainly don’t want to shy away from it.

“It’s been very emotional from all different aspects, but as long as we’re all sympathetic to each other’s cause we’ll get there.”

Manly Sea Eagles coach Des Hasler says the players will be welcomed back. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gaye Gerard

Skipper Daly Cherry-Evans added: “It’s not easy – there’s human emotion attached to this – but it could bring us together like never before.

“It’s really important for us to understand where everyone comes from. For us to play in this jersey, how can we not go in there and understand and accept what people have done, if we’re trying to represent inclusiveness and diversity. It’s not easy.

“I always see the opportunity in things, and I think this can be a chance for us to come together and learn a bit more about each other and learn from it and move on.

“As a player, I think we need to be careful about how much we push onto the players to commercialise the game. If you look at a dressing room as an NRL squad, it is very diverse and it is very inclusive. I just wonder how much we need to do as athletes to push out there.”

Hasler and Cherry-Evans were immensely proud of their makeshift side’s performance against the Roosters, with the coach saying: “It was full of effort. They stepped up and had a real crack.”

Roosters coach Trent Robinson always felt his side was in control but admitted it was far from a polished performance.

“I felt we were threatening to open it up at stages but we lost direction,” he said.

“We had lots of passing and movements but a lot of errors off the back of it.

“But you celebrate your wins. You’ve got to make sure you’re happy and pick up the positives from that.”

Manly first gamers Zac Fulton, Pio Seci and Alfred Smalley. Picture: NRL Photos

There was concern for Lindsay Collins, who was forced from the field and didn’t return after a nasty head collision with Morgan Boyle in the first half.

It was the Queensland prop’s first game back after suffering a heavy knock in Origin III and he now looks set for another lengthy stint on the sideline

Robinson said: “He’s OK in the sheds but obviously it looked quite bad.

“It’s always disappointing to see one of your players have that happen, especially when it happened a couple of weeks ago.”