Let Israel Folau go, he'll quickly come back

Folou going to AFL is a joke that will blow up in the face of all concerned. He'll be back in the NRL in no time.

very glad they got him - great publicity for GWS..... the fact remains that folau is 100-1 against achieving even an average standard... GWS will stick him up either end (forward or back) and let him run around a bit .... he'll be working harder off the field in front of the cameras than on-field....

I watch RL every now and then and when I do I always see impressive tackling but very unimpressive 'catching' or marking - even the supposedly best players are really not very good at catching 'bombs' - under a high ball you'd back an AFL player over a RL player every time. From what I see RL players inevitably leap too early and they don't watch the ball into their hands ...the Folau mark was unusual because he got both of these right, and he also took it above his head (which granted may not be advisable in RL due to greater need for ball security). Apart from having to overcome learning new kicking skills and marking skills they haven't developed as a junior there is also things like reading the play and also adjusting to the extra kms they'll have to cover in a game (they have to shift in emphasis similar to going from say being a sprinter to a middle/long distance runner). I'm on the skeptics corners on this issue (like Paul Roos & others) - I don't think RL players are likely to make the transition successfully... Gaelic footballers yes maybe, but Rl players will not work.

well, AFL players drop those kind of marks routinely. It's just that they get umpteen chances in a game to redeem themselves, and there's no automatic penalty for dropping it. And, as I was saying, AFL commentators carry on about things that don't really register on my antenna. It's kind of what commentators do in all sports, really. Anyway, your missing my point which is that the risk/reward calculation of catching the ball is different in both games, which is why League players use a different technique. That's why it doesn't happen very often in an RL game. I was partially agreeing with you, just a difference of emphasis. I agree that Roos might have thought "big deal", but if he did he was wrong. It's an even bigger deal to do something that you don't practice regularly. Roos is a great politician - he tailored his reaction to curry some favour with both his constituencies (the RL tragics he's trying to win over, and the AFL tragics he doesn't want to lose), so each side could interpret it the way they want to (current conversation being case in point).

the main point is that the Folau mark was nothing special, other than that it occurred in a RL game....it was regulation overhead mark over a player who was almost stationary in the drop zone....the staggering thing for an AFL player in that position would be to miss a mark like that not take it.... it was maybe a 6/10 effort whereas the way the RL commentators carried on you'd think it was 10/10 effort... to say that the commentators nearly wet themselves is only a slight exaggeration...and the 'controlling it to the ground' comment by Roos was his way of softening his response which otherwise would have basically been - "big deal"

Chris, what Roos was actually reported as saying: "If you put it into perspective of AFL, it's a thing you'll see 20 times a weekend on eight games...But what I would say is it's an extraordinary athletic performance to do what he did and then be able to put the ball on the ground like he did was fantastic." So, for starters, not 20 times a quarter. Of course, it was kind of a back-handed compliment to Rugby League, whilst saying "Gee, if you liked that, we do it all the time", but the difference is that in AFL they don't really have to worry about keeping control of the ball after the mark is taken. Which is not disagreeing with your main point that each game has different skill emphases, but that bit was a tad hyperbolic. It would be like me saying that AFL commentators wet themselves when players make tackles that look like something from an under 9s RL comp, but of course tackling has a different purpose, and different rules around it, in AFL compared to League.

you're right about Hunt - some in the Melbourne media have already been given him the title of "the worst kick in the AFL".... and I'm sure that'll turn out to be pretty accurate... even someone like Slater who some people claim is capable of making the transition to AFL would be found wanting without extensive training and prolonged transition period. The other night in the State of Origin they played a slow motion replay of Slater contesting for the ball in what would be a regulation overhead mark in AFL - he mistimed his leap, turned his head at the wrong time so he wasn't actually watching the ball into his hands and criticially he cupped his arms for a 'chest' mark rather than take it out in front and above the head as they must do in the AFL.... if you want to make a video of what NOT to do when taking a taking a contested mark in AFL then just play that vision of Slater - he did just about everything wrong (for an AFL mark).... and you can't blame Slater because while contested marking is a bread butter skill for an AFL player that they are constantly doing in a game and in training - they do it thousands of times a year - in RL it's not done anywhere near as much and RL players do not develop this skill...I remember seeing Folau take an overhead mark and the RL commentators nearly wet themselves - Paul Roos was later asked about it and quite rightly pointed out that marks like Folaus were regulation and something you see around 20 times a quarter in an AFL game.... so yeah why not bring the RL players across for the publicity but let's not kid ourselves that that's about all they will be really good for...

Maybe it's Frank Stanton? We can't really do anything to keep Folau - money is their main interest when they leave. Unless they get rid of the salary cap - and we know what happens then.... Like the others who have taken off, he will realise that league is in his 'blood' and that money isn't everything. He may stay for a few years, but his calling will eventually get to him mentally and he will have too much cognitive dissonance not to return. We should welcome him back to league, like the prodigal son who has made some mistakes and has learnt on his own of them.... yes Fank a bit harsh there..... we would welcome him back in a few years if he also signed on for the Eels...

just to let junior know that there are more rugby union players in melbourne than there are league. rugby union also have a history in melbourne unlike rugby league which has to cheat its way there. folau will earn good money in melbourne and then more money in europe and probably play in the rugby world cup where millions and millions more will know him. good on him after all his father was a rugby union international from tonga.

Jim, I can see your point but I dont think those chicken will come to Rugby nor AFL anytime in the next 50yrs. The problem with the NRL is that they sit at a cross road. 1. Lift the cap and loose possibly 3-4 clubs through elite player loss and financial ability to compete with rich clubs. 2. Remain the same and loose two or three players a season chasing money in Europe. Its a huge argument. NRL players going to AFL is silly and Hunt is about to be taught a lesson in building a bridge too far. Folou is a pretender just like JT. All these clowns do is try to bump up their price. Let him go I say. He wont get the money he thinks he well. The ARU learnt that and AFL wont pay it.

Yeh, let him go. He will be a circus act in AFL and as for union, their financial chickens will come homes to roost at some stage, whether in France or anywhere else.

I hope GWS do get Folau... good luck to him if he goes and grabs the cash while he can but he (and his manager) shouldn't start thinking he'll ever amount to anything more than a curiosity and a mouthpiece....Folau needs to be realistic and go in with his eyes wide open - if he seriously wants to be a 'star' then he should really stay in RL or try RUnion.....in the AFL there's no chance he's ever going to be known for his playing abililty ala Ablett.. Irish players who cross over to AFL from a much more similar football code take a couple of years to pick up the skills and the game sense - and some never successfully make the transition... as for rugby players, well just look at someone like LRT for the Swans - he still hasn't picked up the game and he's a premiership player and played for about 8 seasons!... LRT makes mistakes you wouldn't see from a half decent 15 yr old school player....and he makes those fundamental errors because he lacks a junior grounding in the game, and every week he reminds Swans fans of that lack of grounding with poor choice and sub-standard skills.....and I'm quite sure it'll show with Hunt and with Folau if he does come across....

Yep, especially when you read that article which suggests he would only consider going to play Union in NZ because he could get an All Blacks jersey, otherwise the money in France is just too good. Really he just wanted to be able to use the NRL to up the price the NZ RU paid. But the Bulldogs clause prevents that. No chance he was considering going back to League given his situation.

ironically by uniting them in support of rugby union. sort of.

Frank I think has acheived a first - he's united rugby league followers on the roar!!!

I don't think Frank is allowed to have a job.

indeed Gob, Nasser's comments about Canterbury blocking Williams' return to the NRL are as delusional as they are embarrasing...

I think this one is closer to the mark: http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/league-news/rebels-have-upper-hand-in-race-to-sign-folau-20100430-tz8j.html it's funny, just doing a quick Google search on "folau rebels offer" returns some wild variation: "exceeds $1 million" "approaching $1 million a season" "could be up to $800000 a season" "convinced he will accept their offer of about $600000 a season" And all within the period 28 Apr-1 May....

i know it's the telegraph but: http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/nrl/israel-folaus-1m-melbourne-rugby-deal/story-e6frexnr-1225859051598

Nice exaggeration Junior. There is no way in hell Folau would earn $1m per year playing rugby in Australia. He would not even earn close to that playing rugby in Europe. He is too slow to play wing in rugby so would have to ply his trade in the centres - which would take quite some time for him to adapt.