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Watching last night’s State-of-Origin thriller, I couldn’t help but ponder what AFL ‘convert’ Israel Folau was thinking. As a professional athlete, he must long for such occasions, particularly when he knows the impact he could potentially make on the contest.
Make no bones about it, Folau was a star during his time in the NRL and would have been in the Queensland team last night had it not been for the fact he plays another code altogether nowadays.
There’s no doubt in my mind if New South Wales were to end Queensland’s recent domination and win the 2011 Origin series there’d be an increasing groundswell of pressure on Folau to return to league as soon as possible.
It’s in this context, that Folau’s four-goal performance as a forward for the Greater Western Sydney Giants on the weekend came as welcome relief for the former Melbourne Storm and Brisbane Broncos man.
He’d previously been struggling big-time to adjust to Aussie Rules when played as a defender.
I witnessed his performance in the Foxtel Cup a few weeks ago against the Northern Bullants and the signs were bad as he appeared completely lost in defence.
You might argue it’s still early days in Folau’s Aussie Rules adventure so what else should we expect. And that’s fair, in many ways.
Nevertheless, it was startling to hear from the man himself in an interview with the Herald Sun earlier this week where he revealed he has questioned his own ability to succeed in his huge task.
“Yes, there has been (times I doubted myself). I’ve always had confidence in myself when I was playing rugby league,” Folau said. “When I first came here, I told myself, ‘I can do this.’ But the next day I am asking myself, ‘Can I do this or not?’ I was constantly questioning myself.”
It was an admission which made me ponder that perhaps he’d bitten off more than he could chew.
Okay, he says he’s got his mind focused on the job again, but it is a big job and he has a long way to go to become an AFL footballer, let alone a star like he was during his rugby career.
And that’s an interesting point which will always dog Folau as long as he toils away at his AFL career.
Yes, he’s a fantastic athlete with all the attributes to be an AFL star, but his understanding of the game is way behind where it needs to be.
Will he ever dominate the AFL like he did the NRL? I very much doubt it. Just look at code-hoppers Karmichael Hunt, Mike Pyke or Lewis Roberts-Thomson who have become role players (although Jim Stynes provides a unique example which may offer him hope).
So if he can’t match his NRL feats then how long can Folau, as a professional athlete, put up with not being able to utilise his talent and capabilities? Especially when he’s missing out on occasions like last night’s State-of-Origin.
Well, he’s signed a three-year deal with the Giants, of course. So if he’s not on his way to becoming an AFL superstar by then, does he just toss his AFL career away?
That’d suggest the whole thing was just a gimmick. And, deep down, maybe that’s the truth for Folau who surely can’t wait to one day put on the maroon guernsey once again.
In his interview with the Herald Sun, Folau added: “I miss the hype that goes through State-of-Origin because I’ve played rugby league my whole life.” It’s only natural for him to feel that way.
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