A member of the 'rainbow 17' - one of the Manly stars who did wear the pride jumper last week - has broken his silence over the issue that has divided the game.Speaking on the condition of anonymity, he painted a grim picture of a team still very much at war with itself over the controversy.While officials insist the club is now united after coffee meetings, a visit from a mediator, text messages and peace offerings, the player revealed a deep resentment against the seven players who stood down last week remains."They (the seven) are still saying they weren't consulted about the pride jersey and it went against the religious a cultural beliefs," the player said."We weren't consulted when a betting sponsor was placed on our jersey - the guys wear that every week… I'm not sure what their god would say about that."No one asked us when our oval was renamed after a brewery (4 Pines Park) - I don't think their god would have been crazy about that either."And I can tell you very few young blokes in our club live by the 10 commandments - nor most young blokes in Australia for that matter."Yet these guys take a stance over a good move by the club to make the gay community feel inclusive in our game."They could have said they didn't support the initiative but to refuse to play with their mates, it doesn't sit well, and there is something of a rift in the group as a result."If those two lost points - and we are confident we would have won (against the Roosters) - cost us a place in the finals, it will take a long time for us to get over it."One man who has spoken out in support of the seven rebels is Paul Abboud, principal at East Hills Boys High School in Bankstown.
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