NRL keeps door shut on Folau
The NRL has no appetite to welcome back Israel Folau, despite some club officials tipping the sacked Wallaby will try to return in the next two years after his shock Catalans Dragons deal.
The France-based Super League club ignored the wishes of the Rugby Football League to sign Folau to a one-year deal reportedly worth A$400,000 (NZ$414,000).
‘‘I bet you all money Israel will try to get back into the NRL in the next two years. He won’t want to keep living in France,’’ one NRL club boss told the Sydney Morning Herald.
During Folau’s lengthy court battle with Rugby Australia over his homophobic comments on social media last year, at least one Sydney NRL club was approached by the 30-year-old’s camp.
While the NRL remained tight-lipped on Wednesday, it directed all media inquiries to the comments made by ARL Commission chief Peter V’Landys last October.
‘‘The game is inclusive. Israel’s comments are not inclusive,’’ V’landys said at the time.
‘‘When I was a kid and kids used to get bashed up because they were different, I used to go and defend them. And a lot of them, it’s because their role models or their peers made them that way.
‘‘I have no tolerance for people that put other people’s lives [at risk] or [commit] violence. It’s a big statement to make.
‘‘With due respect to Israel, what he says, young kids listen to.
‘‘He is a role model. They act on it. And when you’re a kid at school and you get bashed up because you’re different, I don’t think that’s a good thing.’’
Folau is likely to get a chance to feature in a planned opposed session against the Sydney Roosters in a couple of weeks as the NRL premiers tune up for their World Club Challenge.
The Wigan Warriors waited just 19 minutes after the Folau news to declare their game against Catalans would double as their Pride Round, which celebrates the LGBTQ community.
Catalans chairman Bernard Guasch gave assurances to the RFL that any controversial posts from Folau would not be tolerated, and ‘‘any transgression will trigger an immediate termination of Israel’s contract and a substantial fine for the club’’.