Israel Folau contemplates his future during his final appearance in GWS Giants colours (Image: Slattery)
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Israel Folau has declared himself a fish back in water after starring in his debut for the NSW Waratahs in a Super Rugby trial.
The former rugby league international and short-term AFL player bagged two tries, had a hand in another and was even yellow-carded in an eventful 24-16 win over the Melbourne Rebels in Hobart.
After two years trying to find his feet with AFL’s Greater Western Sydney, Folau said he felt right in his third professional football code.
“I felt really comfortable to be quite honest,” he told reporters at North Hobart Oval.
“It’s like I never left a game like rugby.
“I felt really relaxed throughout the day and that’s the way I felt coming into the game.”
Asked if he’d missed that feeling of dominating a game, he said: “I’ve missed it for two years.”
Starting at fullback, Folau reaped the rewards of Waratahs coach Michael Cheika’s new attacking brand of rugby.
He was rarely called to kick and announced himself to the rugby world when he swerved to beat three defenders in just the 12th minute.
The celebration said plenty with the former Melbourne Storm and Brisbane Broncos star punching the air with delight before being embraced by his new teammates.
Folau repeated the dose with the last play of the match, beating two to cross in the left corner while playing outside centre.
He might have had a third try in the 34th minute but unselfishly offloaded for winger Cam Crawford when he could easily have crossed himself.
“That last try I just found myself in the right spot at the right time,” he said.
“I think today I can learn a lot from the game and there’s certainly a long way to go in terms of learning a few things in both attack and defence.”
Cheika was delighted with the performance of his new star, who also spent time on both wings.
“Positionally (at fullback) he was probably in much better sync than I thought he might be,” Cheika said.
“Obviously his natural talent showed on a couple of occasions very well and I think he looked pretty comfortable really.
“All he has to do is enjoy himself and make our team and his talent will do the rest from there.”
Folau was yellow-carded in the 54th minute and admitted he’d understood little about his breakdown offence.
“I was a bit confused but once I got off and the boys explained it,” he said.
Compounding the four tries to two loss for the Rebels was a suspected fracture to Cooper Vuna’s right shoulder blade.
“With our top side I thought we were competitive but those young blokes, they’ll learn from that and the experience will be good for them,” assistant coach John Muggleton said.
© AAP 2013- Explore:
- Israel Folau, Rugby Union, Super Rugby
February 3rd 2013 @ 2:49am
Hightackle said | February 3rd 2013 @ 2:49am | Report comment
Good to hear he played well but a trials match is not the best test. Lets just wait until the pressure starts before we judge him.
February 3rd 2013 @ 11:51pm
Roarer said | February 3rd 2013 @ 11:51pm | Report comment
You can already sense England licking their lips. Probably sorting out a visa for him as we speak.
What ya reckon, Hightackle? You are England’s ambassador for the roar.
February 3rd 2013 @ 5:29am
kingplaymaker said | February 3rd 2013 @ 5:29am | Report comment
Hightackle it’s strange to think he was better in his very first match of rugby than in two whole years of AFL.
February 3rd 2013 @ 7:22am
Christo the Daddyo said | February 3rd 2013 @ 7:22am | Report comment
No it’s not.
February 3rd 2013 @ 10:23am
Justin2 said | February 3rd 2013 @ 10:23am | Report comment
Why? One game is completely different and he had never played afl.
February 3rd 2013 @ 10:30am
kingplaymaker said | February 3rd 2013 @ 10:30am | Report comment
What I mean Justin is that out of a whole two years of playing one code, about a fifth of the time an elite athlete plays at the top of their game, he was less effective than in his very first game of another i.e. this is a better way to spend his time and use his talents.
February 3rd 2013 @ 10:39am
Justin2 said | February 3rd 2013 @ 10:39am | Report comment
“tthis is a better way to spend his time and use his talents.”
And you didn’t know this before yesterday?
February 3rd 2013 @ 10:46am
kingplaymaker said | February 3rd 2013 @ 10:46am | Report comment
Perhaps so, but it makes the move to the AFL look utterly ludicrous now, when if he wanted a new code this was here.
February 3rd 2013 @ 10:57am
Justin2 said | February 3rd 2013 @ 10:57am | Report comment
His move to the afl was utterly ridiculous from the start, he didn’t need 2 years flapping about for that to be known
February 3rd 2013 @ 11:01am
kingplaymaker said | February 3rd 2013 @ 11:01am | Report comment
Well, true…but Hunt did ok?
February 3rd 2013 @ 11:15am
Justin2 said | February 3rd 2013 @ 11:15am | Report comment
Very different players and skill sets, and again hunt had an interest in the game and had played at least a little bit. He is a natural sportsmen, Foloua isn’t across all sports like that imo
February 3rd 2013 @ 11:20am
kingplaymaker said | February 3rd 2013 @ 11:20am | Report comment
That sounds right-a shame he didn’t come straight here a couple of years back but the AFL should at least have helped with kicking and endurance.
February 3rd 2013 @ 2:07pm
PeterK said | February 3rd 2013 @ 2:07pm | Report comment
does not look ludicrous to me when you consider how much more money he made for those 2 years.
Set him up for life and that means he can choose to play what he enjoys the most, and at this stage that is rugby.
February 3rd 2013 @ 2:12pm
Justin2 said | February 3rd 2013 @ 2:12pm | Report comment
Not in terms of money Peter in terms of him never being a success at it. I agree it’s set him up, though he would have been fine regardless…
February 3rd 2013 @ 3:18pm
soapit` said | February 3rd 2013 @ 3:18pm | Report comment
and 2 years isnt really that long out of his career. give it a go for a spell especially if someones willing to give you bucketloads of cash
February 5th 2013 @ 1:48pm
KiwiDave said | February 5th 2013 @ 1:48pm | Report comment
AFL is a game for skinny runts with good aerobic endurance. Folau was always going to be a flop there due to his poor aerobic capacity
February 3rd 2013 @ 6:00am
Billy Bob said | February 3rd 2013 @ 6:00am | Report comment
Looks like a code smacking headline here. ‘Most comfortable I’ve been in two years’
Anyway, I wish he and his minders would make him into a smaller target ATM. But I suppose he is the current headline. Might be good for him to scream for the ball on the burst, then let the inside backs duck the tacklers and make the breaks.
February 3rd 2013 @ 8:06am
kombiutedriver said | February 3rd 2013 @ 8:06am | Report comment
Let’s see how he fares on the 23rd Feb.
February 3rd 2013 @ 10:41am
Blinky Bill of Bellingen said | February 3rd 2013 @ 10:41am | Report comment
So ‘comfortable’ on the field that he didn’t want to leave when he got yellow carded.
At least he’s okay with having a laugh at himself. He seems an okay guy to me.
February 3rd 2013 @ 12:24pm
Anon said | February 3rd 2013 @ 12:24pm | Report comment
What at very least it does illustrate is that the difference between playing good standard (okay, elite) RL and stepping into good standard (elite but a trial game) RU – could it perhaps be compared to as big a leap as moving from T20 cricket to test cricket. (and that’s not saying it’s easy).
I’ve been wondering this though in recent times – are the games of RU and RL more similar than T20 is to Test Cricket? At what point is something a stand alone code of sport or just a variant? Anyway – perhaps a question to ponder for another day.
And from the Folau perspective – the people who ask ‘how easy must AFL be’ – Folau underwhelmed in the extreme at AFL level but did okay at NEAFL level. He now joins a vast list of Irish lads who’ve found the challenge too great. Had he stuck it out another couple of years – who knows. On evidence, for Folau, RU is a far easier transition (seriously NOT surprising – so not really saying that much) than AFL was.
February 3rd 2013 @ 1:24pm
Hightackle said | February 3rd 2013 @ 1:24pm | Report comment
Anon, just becuz Izzy struggled does not mean everybody would. Hunt for example?
Union and league are less similar than you would think. Very few rules are the same.
A variant? I think Anon is an AFL man.
February 3rd 2013 @ 3:21pm
soapit` said | February 3rd 2013 @ 3:21pm | Report comment
quite a few rules are the exactly the same and lots are very very similar.
February 3rd 2013 @ 9:49pm
Hightackle said | February 3rd 2013 @ 9:49pm | Report comment
Are you saying its a variant?
Name the rules that are exactly the same.
The scrum is different, the amount of players on the field is different as is the lineout, the substitutions, the points, the ruck, the ball, the positions, the 22 drop out, the tackle count, the kicking to touch, the number of referees, etc.
Very little is the same appart from running with the ball, try scoring and tackling. I would guess that 90% of the rules are different, if not higher.
Imo its almost as different as netball and basketball.
February 3rd 2013 @ 11:08pm
PeterK said | February 3rd 2013 @ 11:08pm | Report comment
you cannot pass forward , or have blockers (obstruction) , or knock and some offside, these all would be the same
but yes most are actually different.
February 3rd 2013 @ 11:26pm
Hightackle said | February 3rd 2013 @ 11:26pm | Report comment
A deliberate forward pass in league is a penalty and is accidental offside a scrum in league? Also Im not entirely sure obstruction rules are the same either.
They are similar but not identical.
February 3rd 2013 @ 11:47pm
PeterK said | February 3rd 2013 @ 11:47pm | Report comment
A deliberate forward pass in rugby is a penalty also.
I believe accidental offside in league is a scrum.
Obviously some obstruction laws retaining to set pices are different. I meant in regards to runners etc.
The actual laws / rules are the same however the interpretation of when a defender is impacted is different.
All a mute point in that most laws / rules are at least slightly different and since you are a bit of a pendant then you are correct.
February 4th 2013 @ 9:27am
soapit said | February 4th 2013 @ 9:27am | Report comment
a try is scored when the ball is placed down over the tryline. a penalty is scored when the shot goes through the posts, drop goals must bounce first then go over.
if you look a bit harder you’ll find a few more that are exactly the same.
90% different probably sounds about right (probably a bit low if anything). for a game that has so many rules that leaves quite a few that are the same. very few isnt the words id use then.
maybe ur right about like netball and basketball. thats a pointless subjective argument which i’ll avoid.
February 4th 2013 @ 10:11am
soapit said | February 4th 2013 @ 10:11am | Report comment
additionally there are many more which, although slightly technically different, will not be discernably different 99.9999% of the time for someone actually playing.
February 3rd 2013 @ 8:42pm
Malo said | February 3rd 2013 @ 8:42pm | Report comment
hunt isnt exactly killing it in afl
February 3rd 2013 @ 10:01pm
Hightackle said | February 3rd 2013 @ 10:01pm | Report comment
Well I would say being named by the courier mail as a member of the Queensland team of 2012 is doing OK.
He is a good AFL player.
How many league players transition to be union props, hookers or openside flankers? The games being so similar it must happen all the time.
February 3rd 2013 @ 10:22pm
Jiggles said | February 3rd 2013 @ 10:22pm | Report comment
Haha there is a QLD team for AFL???
Good grief!!!
February 3rd 2013 @ 10:25pm
Justin2 said | February 3rd 2013 @ 10:25pm | Report comment
Hunt is a below average afl player. He can get better but if you are relying on a qld afl team selection as recognition for proof of quality you don’t know much about the game….
February 3rd 2013 @ 10:49pm
Hightackle said | February 3rd 2013 @ 10:49pm | Report comment
Pffft yeah being named as one of the best AFL players in QLD means he is below ave.
I just go on whats written and reported Justin.
The consensus is that he is pretty good and getting better.
February 4th 2013 @ 5:50am
Justin2 said | February 4th 2013 @ 5:50am | Report comment
Qld is an afl backwater,please dont comment if you dont understand the game.
He wouldn’t make a third team from Vic, there is your answer!
February 3rd 2013 @ 8:49am
Terry Kidd said | February 3rd 2013 @ 8:49am | Report comment
an encouraging debut …. tis good to see
February 3rd 2013 @ 10:00am
Jack said | February 3rd 2013 @ 10:00am | Report comment
He’ll be a dual international before the year is out. The youngest League international ever and the youngest to play for Qld SoO. League rep. spots are earned from a deep player pool. A once in a generation talent. Sign him to a 5 year deal.
February 3rd 2013 @ 3:22pm
soapit` said | February 3rd 2013 @ 3:22pm | Report comment
qld soo only recently has had a deep player pool. this is the reason behind their much celebrated loyalty to players
February 3rd 2013 @ 4:45pm
charlie mackay said | February 3rd 2013 @ 4:45pm | Report comment
Yeh, sign him for 5 years… So he can be the next mercenary to break a contract after 1-3 years… Overrated player…
February 3rd 2013 @ 5:38pm
PeterK said | February 3rd 2013 @ 5:38pm | Report comment
Folau is not a mercenary, if he was he would of stayed in AFL for a LOT more money. Just because he turned his back on league TWICE , obviously not a challenging game
February 3rd 2013 @ 10:12am
p.Tah said | February 3rd 2013 @ 10:12am | Report comment
I recall watching Tahu debut in a trial game for the Tahs. Scored with his first touch of the game and had a blinder. I hope Folau does well but we’ll have to see him against the NZ and Saffas before getting too excited.
February 3rd 2013 @ 10:32am
kingplaymaker said | February 3rd 2013 @ 10:32am | Report comment
p.Tah there are difference with Tahu and Folau though: Folau played rugby at school and is several years younger, so it’s more likely he’ll make a faster and more effective conversion.
February 3rd 2013 @ 10:34am
Blinky Bill of Bellingen said | February 3rd 2013 @ 10:34am | Report comment
I’m trying to recall anything at all about our trials 12 months ago. I well remember though that as the year went on we got progressively worse. And that was despite all the promises.
So I suppose it’s only natural to get excited. New coach, a positive attacking game plan and an away win.
Just writing a memo to myself “Only trials. Keep a lid on it”.
February 3rd 2013 @ 10:38am
Brett McKay said | February 3rd 2013 @ 10:38am | Report comment
I know it’s only a trial, and we shouldn’t read to much into the game in general, but just as impressive as Folau’s lead-up work to his first try was, the defence – and I use the word loosely – of no.10-wearing James O’Connor in that same passage was worryingly soft..
February 3rd 2013 @ 10:41am
Justin2 said | February 3rd 2013 @ 10:41am | Report comment
I think it was the 12 who missed him badly. A few others fell off with arm contact but the 12 was in a great position to nail him and stuffed it
February 3rd 2013 @ 10:44am
Brett McKay said | February 3rd 2013 @ 10:44am | Report comment
I’m sure O’Connor wasn’t alone J2, Folau’s ability to get through and beat five defenders was hard not to like. But from the brief footage I saw, O’Connor had a more-than-decent shot on Folau and barely got a finger on him..
But it’s only a trial, he’ll get better as the year goes on!!
February 3rd 2013 @ 10:47am
Justin2 said | February 3rd 2013 @ 10:47am | Report comment
I’ll have another look, I concentrated on finding out who the 12 was so much I didn’t pick much of the rest.
February 3rd 2013 @ 6:50pm
Terry Kidd said | February 3rd 2013 @ 6:50pm | Report comment
I’ll say itagain JOC is not a 10, in fact I reckon 15 is his best position
February 3rd 2013 @ 7:20pm
PeterK said | February 3rd 2013 @ 7:20pm | Report comment
agree.
JoC is as good as an attacker as Beale but better under the high ball, kicks better and tackles better.
JoC does not have the long passing game either side that a genuine playmaker needs. Cooper and CL are the only flyhalves in oz that do.
JoC is acceptable as a winger as well.
He is a better option at 12 than McCabe or Barnes though , not as good as Taps at 12 though.
February 3rd 2013 @ 11:06am
batman said | February 3rd 2013 @ 11:06am | Report comment
further reason why anyone that thinks JOC should play at 12 needs their rugby spoon fed.
but it wasn’t that bad… it was a great step by Folau coupled with a trial match intensity….JOC has missed worse though… i recall mccabe steam rolling him last year.
February 3rd 2013 @ 11:16am
Justin2 said | February 3rd 2013 @ 11:16am | Report comment
Yep and Ives seen Dan carter is simple tackles too. Every player does at some point.
February 3rd 2013 @ 12:41pm
batman said | February 3rd 2013 @ 12:41pm | Report comment
yes and JOC at no 10…. he’ll play behind the defensive line a lot so its not a greta problem. He just should never ever be considered a test no 12 is all.
February 3rd 2013 @ 3:24pm
soapit` said | February 3rd 2013 @ 3:24pm | Report comment
the corn rows were much more worrying for me. quite funny seeing him try to toughen up his look.
February 3rd 2013 @ 10:49am
kingplaymaker said | February 3rd 2013 @ 10:49am | Report comment
Yes Brett, you may be suprised if he stays around more than a year.
I wrote an article ages ago saying that the key things to NRL converts were that they were young and ideally had rugby backgrounds. Hopefully Folau will prove that right. As I say above a rather better use of his talents than AFL.
Also, Jordan Rapana turned out for the Brumbies too in the second half.
So a good weekend all told!
February 3rd 2013 @ 11:25am
Brett McKay said | February 3rd 2013 @ 11:25am | Report comment
yeah, and I stand by the comment, since you’ve been waiting to throw it back at me, evidently. I look forward to being proved wrong, and I genuinely hope he does well in rugby.
Yes Rapana played for the Brumbies. I believe he’s on a very low-level contract, similar to what he was let go from the Force. I’m not getting anywhere near as excited as you are. Oh, and before you do get too excited, another of your ‘prodigies’, young Seuteni for Qld had a fairly ordinary night in defence against the Blues, as I understand. “Out of his depth” was a phrase used on Twitter by people in attendence..
February 3rd 2013 @ 12:18pm
Jiggles said | February 3rd 2013 @ 12:18pm | Report comment
Seuteni was out his depth all last year in club rugby Brett, so last night didn’t surprise me. I think he should be cut loose as I just don’t think he can cut it.
February 3rd 2013 @ 12:20pm
Brett McKay said | February 3rd 2013 @ 12:20pm | Report comment
I think I recall you saying that actually, Jigs…
February 3rd 2013 @ 12:40pm
kingplaymaker said | February 3rd 2013 @ 12:40pm | Report comment
He was on a normal contract at the Force, but was let go because of his injury and he’s not on a full contract yet probably because of that injury: that he is already playing shows they think something of him. Good that he’s back. I hope to see him play more than anything else.
Seuteni was I believe playing his first match for the Reds at the age of 18, so perhaps it’s not remarkable that he didn’t come out perfectly.
I haven’t exactly been waiting to throw it back, but it seemed summary as a judgement in the beginning, nor is it as if you haven’t made your attacks on my positions over the years.
February 3rd 2013 @ 1:17pm
Brett McKay said | February 3rd 2013 @ 1:17pm | Report comment
And I explained to you at the time why it was neither summary or judgement…
February 3rd 2013 @ 1:24pm
kingplaymaker said | February 3rd 2013 @ 1:24pm | Report comment
Ok well we can see how it pans out.
February 3rd 2013 @ 12:50pm
Jiggles said | February 3rd 2013 @ 12:50pm | Report comment
They were playing him at 10 for a bit at Easts and what Peterk describes below is pretty accurate. Some of these islander boys carve it up it the GPS system where they can beat up on skinny white boys like us, but they really struggle when they come up against men who can actually play in club and later super rugby. It really shocks them. Brisbane club rugby is full of former islander school boy stars who got the stuffing knocked out of them straight after school and it seems they never fully recoverer.
February 3rd 2013 @ 12:58pm
Turnover said | February 3rd 2013 @ 12:58pm | Report comment
I think thats a valid point Jiggles. I remember Pauliasi Taumoepeau who captained the Australian schoolboys in ’04. He was nicknamed black death. He absolutely demolished any schoolboy in his path. He was a no 8 from memory. Nothing of significance since.
You hit club rugby and suddenly your not 5 inches bigger than everyone else and you need to do just as much time in the gym to maintain an edge.
February 3rd 2013 @ 1:08pm
Jiggles said | February 3rd 2013 @ 1:08pm | Report comment
I remember that Pauliasi bloke. Is he still running around?
Anyway I really hope uj proves me wrong but he hasn’t exactly I pressed with his opportunities.
February 3rd 2013 @ 12:40pm
PeterK said | February 3rd 2013 @ 12:40pm | Report comment
Agree Jiggles.
1 try aside Seuteni has not impressed me.
He looks too soft. He looks cumbersome. Certainly too slow for wing and does not hit the line hard enough for centre.
He lacks agility. This may also be why his defense is suspect.
February 3rd 2013 @ 12:43pm
kingplaymaker said | February 3rd 2013 @ 12:43pm | Report comment
PeterK looks more of a playmaker than anything else.
February 3rd 2013 @ 12:52pm
Jiggles said | February 3rd 2013 @ 12:52pm | Report comment
PeterK I agree with that assessment and as I mention to Brett it was pretty evident at club level last year when he was playing at 10 and on the wing.
February 3rd 2013 @ 1:25pm
kingplaymaker said | February 3rd 2013 @ 1:25pm | Report comment
10s don’t tend to run through opponents like freight trains and aren’t necessarily speedsters: some of them will only ever be good at 10, or at most 12, and there it’s really their creativity and kicking which are the important things.
February 3rd 2013 @ 1:49pm
Jiggles said | February 3rd 2013 @ 1:49pm | Report comment
UJ hasn’t really proved to be profficient at these skills.
Genuine question – have you actually seen him play? I honestly cannot comprehend how you’re arguing with me regarding what I have seen of him and considering you live in England. He was average at 15 for Australia at the U20 RWC so I know you can’t be using that as a judge.
February 3rd 2013 @ 1:55pm
kingplaymaker said | February 3rd 2013 @ 1:55pm | Report comment
I saw him in the under-20s and he looked pretty good although admittedly not much of a runner, though creative and good with the boot, although he was playing 15.
I don’t know what’s going to become of him but as it’s his first Super match at 18 he’ll probably take some time to show how good he is or not.