Paul Gallen says it would be hypocritical of the NRL to not let Israel Folau return
Former Blues skipper Paul Gallen has defended Israel Folau’s right to return to the NRL, but believes there’s one big issue that can’t be ignored.
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Former Origin skipper Paul Gallen has gone in to bat for Israel Folau, saying it would be hypocritical of the NRL to not allow the controversial star to return.
Speaking to 2GB’s Ben Fordham, the former Sharks star said inclusiveness went both ways, and the NRL had to allow Folau to return.
“I’ve got no problem with Israel coming back, there’s got to be some strict guidelines in the contract around what he can and can’t do, particularly on social media,” Gallen said.
“But the NRL talks about inclusiveness, if they block him from coming back well they’re going against what they’re saying themselves.
“It was a while ago that all this happened and hopefully Israel has learned from it.
“But the fact is when you have an NRL contract you are held to a higher standard than other people and he just can’t do the things that he did last time.
“I think he’s worthy of a second chance. I think if he’s able to come back for a fair price he should be able to come back to the NRL.”
But Gallen said the bigger issue was whether Folau was up to playing NRL again.
The Dragons yesterday let skipper Cam McInnes go to the Sharks while they negotiated a contract with the former Maroons star.
“My biggest question if I were a Dragons fan is ‘is Israel Folau the player we want?’,” Gallen said
“And I’ve got nothing against Israel, I played a number of Test matches with him back in the day. He’s 32, 33 years of age and hasn’t played in the NRL for at least 10 years and the NRL has completely changed in the last two years.
“It’s a what if. What if he’s going to be good again. Is he going to be the old Israel Folau that we remember back in 2008, 2009 scoring tries flying through the air in an Origin series?
“That’s more my question. Sure there’s a danger in him going off online and saying silly things and offending people ... my question is can he still handle the NRL. Can he still handle the NRL for the price he’s going demand? That’s the question you’ve got to ask.”
Gallen said it was a risk both on-field and off-field for the Dragons to take.
“I don’t know why he doesn’t delete things and I don’t know why he says things, I can’t agree with any of that, I think those comments are stupid and extremely judgmental,” Gallen said.
“Money in the game is hard to come by these days, you can’t have guys flying off the handle and saying stupid things that discriminate against certain groups of people.”
‘Folau quoted a fictional book, get over it’
Israel Folau has “done his time” and should be welcomed back to the NRL, league legends Willie Mason and Sam Thaiday said.
The pair backed Folau’s return after it was revealed the St George Illawarra Dragons are set to lodge an application to the NRL to sign the triple-code star on a two-year deal starting this season.
“I’m glad he’s allowed back, or they’re trying to get him, he got ostracised and kicked out of our game and union for quoting a fictional book,” Mason said.
“Get over it. I think he’s done his time.
“The last 12 month, the beat-up that was happening just before he got sacked from the Wallabies – it was always going to happen because you can’t beat the media.
“It was just too much noise there, too many people had a lot to say.
“He did the right thing by the game, by himself, he’s been to the south of France, I’ve been there before, it’s very cruisy down there and you can get away from a lot of things and just clear your mind.
“He’s done his time. It’s time to bring him back, and I’m glad league are doing it. [NRL chairman] Peter V’landys has probably got a big part in that.”
Folau had his $5 million Rugby Australia contract torn up in 2019 after posting anti-gay comments from the Bible.
He launched legal action against his employer, and the matter was settled with a confidential payout to Folau, believed to be around $4 million.
Folau then resumed his professional sporting career in France, paying for Catalans Dragons in the Super League, a tournament interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
While he is contracted for another season, it’s understood Folau wants to remain in Australia with wife Maria and their baby.
V’Landys had indicated at the time Folau was sacked – when it was revealed he was keen to return to the NRL – that the game would not allow him back due to his homophobic beliefs.
But Thaiday said: “I played rugby league with Israel Folau and I think we can only pass judgment on what he’s going to do when he comes back to our game.
“I think there’ll be a few things put in place when he comes back, if all things go ahead. [From] an entertainment point of view it’s going to be great to see a player like him back in the NRL.
“We have to make sure, and continue to show, that our game is inclusive. And if push Israel Folau out, we’re not being inclusive towards him.
“I’m sure Peter V’landys will sit down with him at some point in time and they’ll have a conversation about what it’s going to look like going forward.”
Mason and Thaiday were speaking ahead of their heavyweight boxing bout on Friday week in Townsville.
The former Origin stars will slug it out over three two-minute rounds on the All Stars Fight Night on February 12.
“Two blokes having a good fight, we respect each other, respect the sport, we know it’s a fight, we’re not getting in there for sparring,” Mason said.
“We’ll get in there and have a dig, then get out of there and have a beer.
“That’s it, six minutes of work. That’s all I’ve been thinking about for the last six weeks, six minutes, six minutes.”
KFC SUPERCOACH IMPACT OF FOLAU RETURN
—Wilson Smith
The potential return of Israel Folau to the NRL is set to create massive waves for KFC SuperCoaches, with three potential cheapies set to be massive losers.
With Euan Aitken gone there is a vacancy at left centre for the Dragons, with Brayden Wiliame, Max Feagai and Mathew Feagai all vying for the role and all under $204,000.
However, if Folau is allowed back he will surely fill that role, with all three of these cheapie options forced to miss out, a massive loss for KFC SuperCoaches, given whoever got the nod would have been extremely popular.
Dragons coach Anthony Griffin had previously talked up the Feagai brothers, hinting we would have seen them in 2021.
“Max played at the end of last season and they tell me Mat was close. They are good-sized boys. They are really imposing athletically and they are both training really well. I can hardly tell the two apart. They move the same. Their mannerisms are the same. They are both really good prospects.”
The move would also be mixed news for recruit Jack Bird, who now seems locked in to either play off the bench, or potentially win the No.13 jersey, assuming Cameron McInnes starts at hooker. And while it seems likely Folau plays at centre, the move could also put some pressure on Matt Dufty at fullback if he falls out of favour with Anthony Griffin throughout the year.
There are already suggestions Dufty is on the outer given Griffin’s favourable reviews of young gun Cody Ramsey, plus revelations Dufty is the frontrunner to fill Roger Tuivasa-Sheck’s role at the Warriors.
Folau managed 15 games for Catalans Dragons in 2020, all at centre, and actually had a decent season statistically, finishing the year with five tries. He averaged just under four tackle breaks, 10 tackles, 10 hit ups, one linebreak and one offload a game, for an approximated KFC SuperCoach average of 41.7 points a game (not including try assists or linebreak assists).
If we look back to his last NRL stint in 2010, Izzy was an elite KFC SuperCoach CTW, playing 20 games at centre, scoring 20 tries and finishing the year as the sixth best option. Most impressive was how he averaged 61 points a game (including 8 games with 70+ points) in a time when tries and hit ups were worth less points.
But these numbers are more than 10 years old, and Israel Folau is now 31-years-old with his best footy clearly behind him. That being said, his talent is undeniable and he could still offer something in the NRL and KFC SuperCoach, even if he does only have a minor impact.
While Israel Folau won’t be priced until he is officially with signed with the Dragons, recent history of players joining the NRL after years out of the game, would suggest he’ll be priced between $300,000 and $450,000.
If he does come in towards that $300k price tag he could be an enticing option, with the possibility of some solid price rises, even with a relatively soft average of around 42.
At 194cm tall Folau is a big body, and if he can play for a whole season, should rack up plenty of tackle breaks, but he’d ideally need to double his try-scoring tally from last year or get some more offloads in his game to be worth it.
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