>> Sharks bid £750k a year for Israel Folau
SALE SHARKS have launched a sensational bid of £750,000 a year to lure Wallabies fullback Israel Folau to the North West. The dual code international sparked a world wide controversy earlier this month for anti-gay comments that he made on social media. Folau, left, who is due to be under contract to the Australian Rugby Union until after the World Cup claimed that gay people would end up in hell. The 29year-old has been linked with a return to the NRL with the Gold Coast Titans and he is not likely to be short of offers from the rugby league code for his services. Blindside has, however, been told that the Sharks have made a firm bid for the player who is out of contract at the end of the year.
It would appear that his chances of being picked for the World Cup in Japan are slim after his comments giving the Sharks hope they can sign him.
Sharks supremo Steve Diamond is in the market for a new full-back after losing Mike Haley,
inset, to Munster and then Will Addison to Ulster in the last two months. Diamond is likely to find that he has competition from Japan and France for Folau if the player does decide he wants to remain in the 15-aside code. But if Diamond can pull off the signing it would be a major statement of intent by the Sharks who, backed by Simon Orange, have got money to spend.
Charles Piutau will be the highest paid play in Premiership rugby next season after signing a deal worth £900,000 a year with Bristol.
Our sources have claimed that Folau could command as much as £1.5m a year in wages despite his recent comments.