It's fulltime, the final score's up and it's not looking so great for some of the Manly Sea Eagles players.
Seven players said they intend to sit out Thursday's match against the Roosters. Why? Because for one game, there will be bit of rainbow on their jersey.
The club's making history by replacing the traditional white piping with rainbow colours - but this is apparently too offensive for some of the athletes (some have since backtracked).
Their reasons are religious. The players say they weren't consulted.
They asked to instead be allowed to wear the standard jersey, but NRL regulations stipulate all players have to wear the same strip on game day.
Now don't get me wrong, as an openly gay man I am all for freedom. As a passionate journalist I welcome perspective. As someone who has played for New Zealand's premier gay and inclusive rugby union the NZ Falcons, I get the difference between politics and sport.
And as someone who comes from an extremely religious family, I understand the importance of belief.
But I have had it up to my gay eyeballs with this crap and just like the NRL's first gay player Ian Roberts, it breaks my heart.
It broke my face a few years ago when I was beaten up by someone for the same religious reasons.
Time and time again I find myself here - responding to Israel Folau, defending Laurel Hubbard.
I've had enough and so have the rainbow community. I often fantasise about a world where we don't need pride - a world where it's not even a talking point. Hell, I've tried to write pieces about it.
But it's days like this I am brought back to reality. I am transported into the home of a young NRL fan who is part of the LGBTTQIA+ community and is being told by this boycott their very existence is wrong.
The Sports Minister, who is openly gay, said it was important for sports to promote inclusivity. (Source: 1News)
I am watching the thousands of people who chose to respond to the news by buying up the sacrilegious jumper.
I am inside the minds of our at-risk people of the rainbow community who are having their deepest and darkest thoughts justified.
It is no secret an overwhelming body of evidence shows New Zealand's rainbow population has significantly poorer mental health and is at much higher risk of suicide.
A report commissioned and published as part of the Ministry of Health's suicide prevention research fund found gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and intersex people have a higher lifetime risk for mental health problems including depression, anxiety, suicide and self-harm, substance misuse and eating disorders.
Do you know what causes that increased risk? Discrimination and exclusion.
The one day where I should be reporting about how this jersey is making history, I am instead I am reporting about why players are saying no to that history.
It actually really comes down this - just be a decent human. It's not that hard.
The Warriors forward understood some players may have issues with the jersey based on religious and cultural grounds. (Source: 1News)
And don't give me the religious freedom crap. The Manly Sea Eagles main sponsor is Pointsbet, a gambling company. And their home stadium is 4 Pines Park, named after an alcoholic brewing company.
Last time I checked the Bible, both gambling and alcohol were 'sins' too.
And not to quote Spider-Man, but to quote Spider-Man, with great power comes great responsibility - especially for professional highly paid athletes, role models to hundreds of thousands of fans, which - spoiler alert - aren't all 'straight.'
Aziz Al Sa'afin is a 1News digital producer and a member of the LGBTTQIA+ community.
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