Folau’s contradictions may be of biblical proportions
two other conclusions can be drawn, one year on from the publication of that column.
One, that he demanded a hearing rather than walking away because he wants to prove that he did nothing wrong; which sounds like pride, one of the seven deadly sins.
Or two, that he wants the hearing because he wants to secure a payout of his $4 million contract; which sounds like the idolatry of money, another of the deadly sins, which featured on his Instagram list of damnable follies.
This hearing can only be about those two things: vindication and money. Forget playing; Folau’s time with the Wallabies and Waratahs is over, given he has been abandoned by his coach and a number of senior team-mates. And forget his religion; Folau himself told us the greatest statement he could make would be to walk away from rugby in the name of his beliefs, money and status be damned.
‘‘It’s about what I believe in and never compromising that, because my faith is far more important to me than my career and always will The panel for Israel Folau’s code of conduct hearing has been confirmed, with John West, QC, the chair.
Rugby Australia’s Kate Eastman and Rugby Union Players’ Association representative John Boultbee are the other panellists as Folau fights to save his career.
be,’’ Folau wrote for PlayersVoice.
Yet when all is said and done, the joke may be on us. Folau also explained that in his column. Should he be exiled by Australian rugby and the NRL, his next available path is lined with cash. Tonnes of it.
‘‘There have been rugby offers from the UK, Europe and Japan that are way above anything I could earn in Australia,’’ he wrote.
If all the cards fall in Folau’s favour, here’s what could happen.
Either the three-person panel at Rugby Australia’s hearing, or a court of law, determines that the termination of Folau’s contract is
The three-time John Eales Medallist requested the hearing, expected to take place next week, after being issued with a ‘‘high level’’ breach of contract notice from RA following a series of homophobic social media posts.
Folau has been stood down until further notice.
wrongful. He is paid out $4 million and he is still just 30 years old, with several years of rugby ahead of him.
With his Wallabies career over and rugby league out of the equation, overseas rugby is the obvious option. Rich clubs in Europe and Japan ask themselves whether they are prepared to court controversy by signing Folau, but a few inevitably decide ‘yes’.
Folau is in the prime of his career; nearing the end of his prime at worst. His price tag, as a test megastar and Super Rugby’s alltime leading try-scorer, could be record-breaking. He remains a great footballer.
Consider that Dan Carter and Matt Giteau both made $2 million per season in French rugby when both were past their best, brilliant though they remained.
The alternative scenario, of course, is that Folau’s contract termination is approved and he leaves Australian rugby with nothing, before finding an overseas offer hard to come by.
But best case, Folau could finish his Wallabies career with a $4 million golden handshake before signing a new contract for double his current salary, earning $2 million-plus per season until he retires after several more seasons. There is a strong chance that his exit won’t damage him financially; that it may in fact enrich him. Folau tends to literal bible interpretation, so his thoughts on this verse would be intriguing.
‘‘Matthew 6:24: No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.’’
World Wide of Sports