Clive Palmer says Israel Folau would have made a difference in Maroons mauling
A staunch supporter of Israel Folau’s return to rugby league, Clive Palmer insists the Maroons would have been helped by the former international.
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Billionaire Clive Palmer believes Queensland needs Israel Folau, declaring the 32-year-old would have “made a difference” in the Maroons’ 50-6 thumping last night.
Palmer is backing Folau’s bold bid to return to rugby league for the Southport Tigers, with the code-hopper’s injunction against the Queensland Rugby League to be heard on Thursday.
“Congratulations to NSW who were faster and stronger, however Israel would have made a difference. Queensland needed someone of his ability,” Palmer said.
“Never before have we seen a QRL condition put on a player where the player has to give up representative honours and selection.”
“All Israel Folau wants to do is play football and be treated like any other person.”
The injunction was filed in response to the QRL’s refusal to register him as a player due to a contractual dispute with French club Catalans Dragons.
The Maroons were torn apart by the Blues in a nightmare Origin I with utility back Tom Trbojevic scoring a remarkable hat-trick.
The home side conceded 30 points in a runaway second half as their defence was continually exposed by the Blues.
Frustrations boiled over with Cameron Munster escaping suspension for kicking Blues rookie Liam Martin.
EARLIER:
ISRAEL Folau’s fight to return to rugby league with the Southport Tigers will begin its next chapter on Friday when the dual-code international’s injunction against the Queensland Rugby League is heard in Queensland Supreme Court.
As first reported by The Sydney Morning Herald, Folau’s directions hearing was intially listed for Wednesday, however lawyers from both sides agreed to postpone for at least 24 hours.
That allowed the 32-year-old and billionaire backer Clive Palmer to fly to Townsville and watch the brutal battle between Queensland and NSW on Wednesday night, before turning their attention to Folau’s own off-field fight in the courtroom.
The former Kangaroos and Wallabies representative filed the injunction in response to the QRL’s refusal to register him as a player until his contractual dispute with French club Catalans Dragons is resolved.
The QRL maintains it will register Folau but only after confirmation from Catalans that the contract has been terminated.
Palmer told The Bulletin last month the QRL had chosen to “hide behind” a Catalans contract that no longer existed, declaring “the contract with Catalans has been terminated”.
“They haven’t paid Israel in seven months so he’s terminated the contract,” Palmer said.
“Now the QRL is trying to hide behind the contract but ... Catalans replaced Izzy in their squad in January and he wasn’t in their salary cap.
“You can’t be bound by a contract if someone isn’t honouring their side.”
That coming despite Catalans football manager Alex Chan previously telling News Corp that was not the case.
“We still hold his contract, he’s still a registered player with Catalans Dragons. It was a big shock to see what was put out there,” Chan said.
The hearing will boil down to whether or not the QRL acted appropriately in not registering Folau, given the circumstances surrounding his contract quandry with Catalans.
If the dispute is resolved immediately and Folau given the green light to play, he will be available for selection as early as Sunday, in Southport’s home game against Mudgeeraba Redbacks.
If the saga drags out beyond Thursday’s hearing and into the following week, Folau’s next chance to take the field will come away to the Helensvale Hornets on June 20 - almost a month to the day he and Palmer first fronted media at a press conference in Brisbane to announce his intentions to play for Southport.
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NEW details have emerged explaining Israel Folau’s desperation to return to rugby league with the Gold Coast’s Southport Tigers after the controversial star attended training with his would-be club on Thursday.
Folau’s reported $250,000 contract, financially backed by Southport sponsor Clive Palmer, is a maximum figure dependent on playing in all of Southport’s 10 remaining fixtures plus finals.
The QRL’s demand that Folau obtain a formal release from his former Catalans club in France, complicated by the club’s insistence Folau remains on their roster for 2021, is costing Folau weekly match payments as high as $20,833.
Folau’s first match payment against the Burleigh Bears on Saturday is as good as gone.
Folau’s team believe legal action against the QRL undertaken on Thursday is the star’s best chance of taking the field for Southport’s match the following weekend against Tugun.
Palmer declined to confirm the $250,000 figure at training on Thursday night, citing the arrangement as a private matter between himself, Folau and the club, but said the total figure was dependent on the number of games Folau was available for selection.
“He’s being paid a lot less than ($250,000) that he’s sure of at the moment,” Palmer said.
“It depends how many games he can play, how much money he can earn.
“That’s part of the deal as any normal thing and we don’t know what that (final figure) will be.”
Folau’s race to return to rugby league has met significant opposition but the greatest obstacle is now his former employer.
Palmer said the QRL had chosen to hide behind a Catalans contract that no longer existed, a stance Folau’s legal team believe was taken with the discriminatory intent to block the former Maroon and Wallaby from playing.
“The contract with Catalans has been terminated,” Palmer said.
“They haven’t paid Israel in seven months so he’s terminated the contract.
“Now the QRL is trying to hide behind that contract but … Catalans replaced Izzy in their squad in January and he wasn’t in their salary cap, and they were three months behind in their payments to Izzy anyway,” Palmer said.
“You can’t be bound by a contract if someone isn’t honouring their side.”
Folau said he had communicated to Catalans he would not be returning to France.
“I made it clear to them we weren’t coming back, based on my mother-in-law having a stroke in December, and they were aware of that,” Folau said.
“It’s not new to them.”
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Catalans felt differently when contacted by News Corp on Thursday, saying Folau remained under contract with the club until 30 November 2021.
Unless legal proceedings can strong-arm the QRL into waiving that requirement the 32-year-old remains at the mercy of Catalans.
Joining his teammates on the training paddock will have to wait as well, as Folau’s hefty salary is not protected by the QRL’s injury insurance policy while still an unregistered player.
Folau trained privately before appearing at Southport to meet teammates and sign legal documents with Palmer on the sidelines.
Southport players and supporters were excited to see the dual-code international, queuing up for handshakes and hugs as they left the field.
Among them was former NSW and Kangaroos forward Tony Williams, a Folau relative on his father’s side, who will play for Southport after being sacked by US rugby league club New York Freedom three weeks ago for a social media rant accusing Jarryd Hayne’s rape victim of perjury.
Williams is reportedly dealing with a calf injury that will rule him out for at least another few weeks.
Folau said his commitment to Southport was for one season and no longer.
“I’m here for this year and that’s it,” he said.
“As I said last week, my job is to get back on the field and play alongside my two brothers here at Southport.
“I’m looking forward to getting on the field sooner rather than later and playing footy again.”
EARLIER
ISRAEL Folau has made his first appearance at Southport Tigers training, but will not lace up his boots without QRL blessing.
Club patron Clive Palmer told the Bulletin Folau had completed personal training elsewhere but joined the team at 7.15pm for a team talk.
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Mr Palmer said that was because the QRL would not insure Folau against injuries sustained while an unregistered player he could not take the field, but would address his teammates at the conclusion of training.
Folau’s attendance at training comes as his camp launches legal action against the Queensland Rugby League for “discrimination”, after they refused to register the former Maroon and Wallaby without first obtaining a release from ex-club Catalans in France.
Mr Palmer said Folau had not been paid by his old club since November, rendering his contract lapsed.
Fellow disgraced NRL star Tony ‘T-Rex’ Williams was another attendee at training but did not lace up a boot.
Spectators at training said this was due to a calf injury sustained prior to arriving at the club.
Southport will take on Burleigh Bears in A Grade on Saturday night but Folau’s availability for selection is far from guaranteed.
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