Israel Folau has a long history of chasing the cash and flip-flopping on his word
It’s very hard to take Israel Folau as some kind of religious warrior, on a crusade of defending his Christians beliefs and the rights of all Australians, when he has been blatantly chasing the cash and flipping-flopping on his word over his entire playing career, Jessica Halloran writes.
As Australian Rugby League chairman Peter Beattie puts it, Israel Folau does not have a “monopoly” on God.
The way Folau expresses offensive views under the guise of doing God’s work doesn’t sit well with the code’s chairman.
“I am a Christian who believes in inclusion and not vilifying people,” Beattie tells this column.
“Israel does not have a monopoly on God.”
While Folau had hopes to play in the NRL, Beattie, who is backed by all the ARL Commissioners, says again he has no chance.
But what if Folau took down the Instagram post? And stuck to a set of social media guidelines where he could no longer suggest homosexuals should ‘burn in hell’, would he be allowed back in the NRL?
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“No,” Beattie answers, quickly and bluntly.
“This is a very important position for us to take. We are going to work in the best interest of rugby league and ensure it is a welcoming game for everyone.”
Others in rugby league hierarchy simply don’t want a player back in the code who behaved so selfishly on the eve of game two of the Origin series nine years ago.
Back then, just days after playing for the Maroons, Folau fronted a press conference, grinning, shaking hands with then Greater Western Sydney coach Kevin Sheedy upon inking a four-year $4.2 million AFL deal.
This has not been forgotten in league land.
“He rat-f**ked us,” said one league figure.
“He walked out the door. We owe him nothing. I mean he walked out during a State of Origin series. How could you trust him? He has a credibility issue.”
The sentiment also with some senior people in the NRL is if he verbally promised not to post homophobic comments to the Rugby Australia boss Raelene Castle last year, and did it anyway, then who’s to say Folau wouldn’t do that in rugby league?
Folau has a long history of going back on his word. Just ask league great and now Canberra coach Ricky Stuart.
Late in 2012 Folau phoned up the then Parramatta coach to help him get out of his AFL contract. Folau said he wanted to play for Stuart’s Eels. Feeling confident the deal could get done, and trusting of Folau, Stuart even did an interview with The Daily Telegraph that November.
“He is a product of Western Sydney and I can’t see a better fit than him joining Parramatta,” Stuart said.
“Israel is from the west and that’s where he wants to play his rugby league, with his mates. He is very passionate about playing rugby league for Parramatta.”
By December Folau shocked the Eels when he said he was going to union. Folau took a one-year $650,000 contract with the Waratahs and the then ARU. By 2015 he was on $2 million per season as a Tah and Wallaby.
It’s very hard to take Folau as some kind of religious warrior, on a crusade of defending his Christians beliefs and the rights of all Australians, when he has been blatantly chasing the cash and flipping-flopping on his word over his entire playing career.
And Folau, as he does, is chasing another cash windfall this time without a footy contract.
Folau this week announced he is suing the RA and seeking up to $10 million in damages. This is an organisation that has helped make Folau millions and millions. If Folau was successful in court, even with their insurance cover, the sport’s governing body could still be faced with the bleak prospect of having to cut funding to important grassroots and professional programs.
Rugby Australia has defended its decision to end Folau’s four-year $5 million contact over a social media post maintaining the case was a matter of employment law and not a religious freedom issue.
Folau says he was unlawfully fired because of his religious beliefs and believes he is not only standing up for his Christian beliefs but also the rights of all Australians.
Notably, most of this money hasn’t landed directly in his pocket.
At 21 he told how he surrendered his $500,000 Brisbane Broncos pay packet to his parents. Further money went to the Mormon Church of Latter Day Saints.
His father Eni, as revealed in Jamie Pandaram’s reporting earlier this week, is incredibly influential, in so far in telling his son if he took down his latest offensive post, which would have saved his career, that; “you’ll go to hell, son”.
The shockwaves of his post have been felt by his family and friends as well as dividing his teammates. Notably his brother John Folau took an early release from the Waratahs following the Instagram fallout. Le Roux Roets — the fellow ‘Tah who was baptised in the Folau’s backyard earlier this year — has also left.
In the end, sports codes are also looking for superstars to stick by their word and not act like they are bigger than their game.
In April, last year Folau emotively wrote on the Player’s Voice of the meeting he had with Castle after his first Instagram post where he said God’s plan for gay people was “HELL”.
“After we’d all talked, I told Raelene if she felt the situation had become untenable — that I was hurting Rugby Australia, its sponsors and the Australian rugby community to such a degree that things couldn’t be worked through — I would walk away from my contract immediately.”
In hindsight, very hollow words.
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