Israel Folau opens up on drug, alcohol battle at Melbourne Storm, ill-fated AFL switch, Wallabies sacking

A candid Israel Folau has opened up on his life of alcohol, women and drugs in Melbourne, his regretful move to the AFL, and how he could walk into the Wallabies line-up today.

Israel Folau has confessed that he got caught up in drugs and alcohol while playing for the Melbourne Storm and that no one knew about his downward spiral off the field.

The cross-code superstar has also revealed that he never wanted to play AFL, claiming that he only gave up on his NRL dream to provide financial security for his family.

Folau made a stunning entry into the NRL with the Storm as a 17-year-old, winning two grand finals and representing Queensland and Australia on the wing.

However, his rapid rise from obscurity growing up in Western Sydney to the bright lights of the big time in Melbourne came with off-field distractions, the likes of which he had never previously encountered.

“When I left school and went to Melbourne, that was the first time I got introduced to drinking and doing everything, like hooking up with girls and getting on drugs,” Folau told Sporting News’ Ebbs and Flows Podcast.

Israel Folau has revealed he got caught up in drugs and alcohol while playing for the Melbourne Storm.

“I got caught up in all of that.

“I look back now at that point in my career, and I was going through a downward spiral, there were so many things off the field that no one knew … what was happening behind the scenes.

“[I was] getting into alcohol, into the women, into the drugs, and I just hit a dead end.

“I was just so lost and empty.”

Folau shifted from the Storm to the Broncos, lasting just two seasons before turning his back on Brisbane in 2010 to join GWS for a deal reportedly worth $6 million.

However, for the first time he has declared that he never wanted to move to Sydney to join the AFL.

“I didn’t want to do it,” Folau said.

“The main reason why I went to [the] AFL was purely just to help my family financially.

“I went back and forth with my parents and particularly my old man. I didn’t want to go, it was something I just never wanted to do.

“I wrestled with that for a long time, [but] at the end of the day the money was too good to refuse, and I went purely on that one choice.

“One of the big pillars when you are a Polynesian kid is when someone cracks it and they’re bringing in the money and resources for the family, your decision is not based just around you personally, it’s based around what can benefit your whole family.”

Folau has opened up on his ill-fated AFL switch, admitting for the first time that he never wanted to move to Sydney, and that it was purely a financial decision.

Folau managed just 13 games for the GWS Giants before announcing he was walking away from his mega deal to attempt a third code switch with Australian Rugby.

“Even though I was getting paid big money, money can’t bring you happiness,” Folau said of his move to GWS.

“I was rocking up to training and hating going there, I just wasn’t enjoying it.

“If I was to give advice to young kids coming through – and Polynesians – I think it’s always a good mindset to help your family and to financially do that.

“But you’ve got to do what you enjoy.”

Folau said he still has no regrets about the social media post that led to his bitter divorce from the Wallabies in 2019.

The 35-year-old had his ARU contract terminated after the devout Christian posted on social media a “warning” stating homosexuals, fornicators and atheists, among others, were going to hell unless they repent.

Folau says he still has no regrets over the controversial social media post that lead to his Wallabies sacking in 2019. Picture: AP

“Only Jesus saves” was the final message of the dramatic post.

“When I put up the post, I never thought that I’d get terminated for it,” Folau said.

“It just never crossed my mind.

“A couple of months before it all happened, I said a prayer and asked God to bring a challenge on that would really test my faith.

“If I say I’m a man of faith, I don’t just want to say it giving lip service. I want it to be genuine. I asked to be put through something that would test me.

“I asked it not really thinking that he was going to give it, so when it all unfolded, I remember that moment.”

At the time he was offered a chance to save his Wallabies career by taking down the post and apologising, but he says the message in the post was “the most important thing to me, so I wasn’t going to back down”.

It led to Folau taking legal action against his termination, which was eventually settled out of court.

The dual-code international reportedly received around $4 million.

“A lot of people misunderstood the actual post and the media played a huge part in taking it and spinning that one word,” he said.

“If you know me personally, you’d know the intention behind the post. But the media played a huge part in taking it and spinning it the way they wanted to.

“I think that built all that pressure and momentum which went that way and ended up with me getting terminated.”

Folau also claims that, if given the chance, he could walk back into a Wallabies jersey.

“I think I could,” he said.

“If I got given the opportunity to go into that change room and put on the gold jersey again tomorrow, I think I’d fit straight in.”