QRL officials to set down with Israel Folau

Queensland Rugby League officials have taken legal advice on where they stand with Israel Folau.

Israel Folau and Clive Palmer speak to the media in Brisbane on Friday morning

Queensland Rugby League officials have taken legal advice on where they stand with Israel Folau and haven’t ruled out sitting down with the dual international next week as they seek assurances he is returning to the game for the right reasons.

Folau, with the backing of colourful billionaire Clive Palmer, held a press conference on Friday morning to announce his plans to return to the game with the Southport Tigers in the Gold Coast A-Grade competition.

Palmer has threatened to use all his billions to ensure Folau is cleared to play and the next step rests with the QRL, who must decide whether to register a contract for the three-code star.

“We have all the formalities,” QRL chair Bruce Hatcher said. “We have spoken to lawyers but we now have to go through the process. In the context of someone who left the game and wants to come back in, we want to make sure our interpretation of those rules is consistent with legal opinion.

“Part of the process will include talking to him. I would like him to tell us whether he just wants to play local league — whether that is the extent of his aspirations.

“We will make our decision based on our rules and regulations within a reasonable amount of time. We want to treat it like any registration we would go through.

“We will not deny any natural justice. The right decision will be based on the facts, not emotions.”

It is understood Palmer is set to further antagonise officialdom by attempting to sign former Manly and Parramatta star Tony Williams to Southport.

Williams recently had his contracts torn up by New York and the Windsor Wolves after publicly supporting jailed former teammate Jarryd Hayne.

Folau has been out of rugby league since the end of last year, when he returned to Australia after a stint with Catalans in the Super League.

He tried and failed to make a comeback with St George Illawarra, only to have the Dragons abort their plans when they faced a backlash from sponsors.

There had been talk that he could return through the Queensland Cup, but those talks hit a wall when the QRL faced a similar backlash.

Palmer has now stepped into the breach and vowed to use all his financial power to ensure Folau is given another chance. According to The Australian’s The List – Australia’s Richest 250, Palmer is worth just shy of $10 billion.

On Friday morning, he vowed to use every cent at his disposal to support Folau. Even by rugby league’s recent standards, this was bizarre.

Palmer, a man who has never been afraid of a court battle, spoke about religious and sexual freedom. Folau, a lightning rod for controversy in recent times, stood his ground on the homophobic social media posts that kicked this whole thing off more than two years ago.

Even now, the posts still remain on his Instagram page.

Asked on Friday morning whether he stood by those posts, which suggested homosexuals and adulterers were destined for hell unless they repented, Folau replied: “I tell you what I do stand for — as a Christian I stand by the Bible and what the Bible says.

“Every written word in that book I stand by. I believe what the bible says. It is clear. I didn’t write the Bible. That is God’s written word and I believe that wholeheartedly.

“You have to read the Bible in context. Have you read the Bible?”

His inquisitor responded yes, before Palmer intervened and suggested social media was controlled by the US and the furore around Folau was a beat-up, jokingly pointing the finger at Southport’s local rivals the Burleigh Bears.

It got stranger by the second, although Palmer was deadly serious when he was asked about his commitment to Folau and what would happen if his return was blocked by the QRL.

“Religious freedom in this country is a fundamental right,” Palmer said. “I have some resources and if it got down to a legal battle, I am sure anyone opposing someone on the basis of religious freedom, would go down seriously and pay a lot of damage.

“I will be surprised if he is not registered and I certainly would support him 100 per cent with all the funds, all the resources and all the skill that I possess to ensure that he is treated fairly like all Australians.

“Make no mistake about that. My commitment to Israel Folau to ensure he can play football again is rock solid. I would pledge every cent, every dollar and every waking moment of my time to ensure that he takes the field again.

“If people want to challenge him illegally, if they want to say things about him that are not right, just watch out. That is for any footballer. The whole club is supporting him playing.

“It is over — you can’t say things about people that are wrong, you can’t try to discriminate against them for religious beliefs.

“If you do, you will be accountable before the courts and it is pretty clear what the courts say about religious freedom.

“It is also pretty clear people have the right to practice whatever sexuality they want. That is a right that was hard won.

“It is the same thing to say a person doesn't have the right to believe in the Bible when I have sworn on the Bible in court, I have sworn on the Bible when I have been in parliament. ”

Palmer said he was driven in part to sign Folau after reading a report in The Australian which suggested up to 70 per cent of rugby league fans wanted to see him back in the game. Players have also supported Folau in recent months and on Friday morning, Brisbane coach Kevin Walters suggested he would have no problem with Folau returning to the NRL.

Folau isn’t ready to have that conversation, insisting his only focus was on playing with Southport alongside his two brothers, who are currently at the club.

“I am excited to get back on the field and play football,” Folau said. “Wherever that takes me, that is out of my hands as well. I am excited to get out there and throw the footy around with the boys and particularly with my two brothers, who are part of the club as well.”

Any regrets?

“No regret at all in life,” he said. “From my faith in God, everything happens for a reason. The journey I have been on to this day now, things happen for a reason.

“I am so thankful for what I have gone through because it has brought my relationship a lot closer with God. I wouldn’t change anything.

“I am here now with this opportunity Clive has given me. I have played at the highest level. I played rugby union and rugby league for Australia, State of Origin.

“To do this with my two brothers is right up there.”