We spend our time watching brilliant players. We marvel in awe of their skill on the paddock. We want to hope the skill they have as a player transcends to normal life.
But then we wake up to the next headline by the sports journalists who built them up, take them down when they transgress the normal idiom.
It’s a tough world for a player, they have a skill which we pay them handsomely for and mark them accordingly.
But are we harsh? The unions and clubs spend time to develop them as players, superstars and dare I say it ‘brands’. The only catch is they are basically just good footballers.
Some players are amazing individuals on and off the field. The passion they have on the field to be a superstar that exceeds the normal player is the same passion used off the field.
Players who are mavericks on the field tend to be mavericks off the field. Kurtley Beale, James O’Connor and Quade Cooper are notable in this respect. They all found themselves in hot water from time to time for their maverick actions off the field. But somehow, we managed through with minimal scuffle in hindsight.
Others Like David Pocock and Israel Falaou are the inspirational types who are driven by a higher purpose.
They use their sense of honour on the field as their driving force and its runs true off the field as well.
These players tend to create issues that are not cases of immaturity and stupidity but ones of idealism. They run aground when they take a position which is not consistent with the union or club.
The issue today is that professional sport is different to normal careers. You are different, you are a freak at the game of rugby, and you must be a role model in life for the unions and clubs they play for.
Plus, you must be compliant with the commercial decisions that your employer makes and their ethics and ethos of those deals.
This is considerably easier for the naughty crowd, but for the idealists it can be very difficult. Assurances and guarantees made at contract signing tend to be pushed to one side as they champion the ideal for the greater good.
Here lies the issue, can they be melded together? No, I don’t believe they can. This problem will never go away.
The idealists want to affect change and organisation wants to pay bills, make money. The challenge is, are we paying the idealist to curb their ideals and their inner fire that makes them the players they are?
I think so.
So how does a Raelene Castle manage this issue? She cannot win.
The different factions want the ideal. Others want a more pragmatic approach and other just want the sponsors to pay more and some just want a W on game day. Today, my heart goes out RC (possibly for the first time).
Rugby is the key here. We all live for the game in part. We all come from very diversified backgrounds, we all have different expectations on players. The money that goes around is the accelerant to the blow ups.
Raelene has the tough job of keeping the family together. This week is a tough one for her.
The judgement on discipline, not only for Folau, but a consistent balance of power across the whole player roster needs to demonstrated.
The warmth and caring of a mother to keep and forgive all her wayward players while keeping the public and sponsors happy.
I suspect a smack is in order for Folau, or more correctly a belting. But you do want to keep him as a family member. Izzy wants to keep his idealism, the fans want it too. That’s what’s makes him the player he is. Kill that and kill him.
The sponsors deals need to be maintained. They want to enhance their image by associating with rugby not pay money to denigrate their image. But they also need to understand that this is a dynamic space which needs to be managed.
For Israel, you’re an idealist. Be proud of that, it’s who you are. But the contracts you get involved with are hard and tough and often inflexible. You must respect that and find a way to come to terms with it.
There was a good reason why monks are often sworn to poverty so to allow them the idealistic life and to act as there will dictates.
I look forward to Raelene doing some masterful work, Izzy playing at the Rugby World Cup and Ol’ Bill in a glass cabinet in Paddington!
Rugby Geek
Roar Rookie
Sacking will be tricky. Next week the code of conduct people have there say and they will make a recommendation that will be at least the next week after that. RA will then suggest to IF resigning is a better way to go. His lawyer will say court please what you got to loose. Six months with a court result or a settlement in 4 months I guess
bob
Guest
Really???? You do realise this is not the 1970's! What a crock this article is and I see it bought out all the dinosaurs from under their rocks where they were presumably hiding and being manly and stuff! Shame on The Roar for allowing such stereotyping tripe!
Oblonsky‘s Other Pun
Roar Guru
Hahah nah sorry mate I don’t know I was making a western force reference!
Cadfael
Roar Guru
Thank you. All I had heard was in was in the offing.
Timothee
Roar Rookie
Well put
Oblonsky‘s Other Pun
Roar Guru
24-48 hours.
Cadfael
Roar Guru
If he is to be sacked, when will this happen? Next week? Next month? 3rd of November?
Apbd
Guest
Well said Ronald. Fundamentalism has caused untold harm to many. We know so much more about human nature and sexuality now that it is only the wilfully blind who could equate homosexuality with sin. Two women die per week at the hands of violent men. Many more are attacked but survive. But yet people waste their time condemning one form of natural human sexuality while remaining silent on the carnage caused by some heterosexuals. Gay young men, as you say, kill themselves at a higher rate than other men as a result of vilification. Yet the outrage is that vilification, relabelled as free speech, is shut down. We condemn, rightly, the outrages committed by ISIS, but Christian fundamentalists are called idealists. We really need to be better at focussing on what really ails society, and less prepared to condemn a whole cohort to hell for loving each other.
Rugby Geek
Roar Rookie
I found Kafers public statements bizarre. I thought he was an RA employees amongst other things. I cannot see how he has managed to enhance the game. I get all the exwallaby commentary but he should be sitting on his hands on this. His mine field of fox and ra is hard to understand
Rolando
Guest
"He is not calling ng on mass bashing’s or death etc." No, of course not. However Folau has a high media profile. His rigid orthodox understanding and expression of Christianity draws in those black and white thinkers who are susceptible to what you call 'idealism'. Typically less educated, less worldly and less intelligent people are those least capable of attenuating their understanding of belief systems. They lap up the simple slogans. There are amongst them those with a chip on their shoulder and/or who are naturally violent and who perceive themselves to be protecting a sacred ideal. Some will act out this out. For example some gay bashers. I don't say they must be Christian. An accumulation of bigoted ideas from various sources can get rolled into a very generalised hatred for certain groups in society. You say "... and Israel Folau are the inspirational types who are driven by a higher purpose." What? Folau is a gifted athlete with a crude understanding of Christianity who takes advantage of his high media profile to preach against homosexuals amongst others. In his small mind he thinks they should repent and turn themselves into straights or celibates. I don't say Folau should be flicked out of the game just for expressing his views. However RA should swat down his bigotry in the strongest terms. Rugby has always had gay men play it and one would expect amongst the new generation of women rugby-players, lesbians. I don't comment on the putative breach of contract by Folau (for allegedly expressing certain views that he has agreed not to express) as that entrains different arguments. PS the troll above who has just created the Rolando Rohan profile, isn't me.
Prof_Kaos
Roar Rookie
Kafer is elite performance director
Bobby
Roar Rookie
The Fletcher Christian comment was a beauty!
Realist
Guest
Sentence 2 Paragraph 2. As for a solution to Rugby Australia: Full board spill and independent enquiry - just not sure all the clubs can get past their self interest to do what’s right. Guys like Tony Shaw have been so damaging to Qld and Australian rugby in back room or boardroom administration roles, it’s a bit like how do you fix the Gold Coast when the answer probably involves a fleet of B52’s or a Police commissioner with absolute authority.
Prof_Kaos
Roar Rookie
There should be no surprise at what has happened this time after what happened last time, why didn't Folau learn & just keep his opinions off global media? I didn't think RA would sack him in World Cup year but it appears RA's "leadership" was actually QANTAS's, they wanted him sacked last time. And let's face it given the nationwide vote on gay marriage passing by such a big margin clearly Aus does not agree with Folau either. What I found most interesting was the statement by Rod Kafer (RA's Director of Rugby) on Fox Sport. To paraphrase: Folau's has great raw talent but 1). he is not a team player, 2). he was not easy to coach, thinking he was bigger than the game, 3). does not have a complete Union skill set and 4). so they have to pick players around him to cover his weaknesses. A pretty damning comment even when looking to sack a player. Unusually strong language. Justin Harrison said basically he has never delivered for the Wallabies and has actually lost some tests for them. Not my opinion, RA's. I just can't believe Folau did it again. He must have known this was likely to happen, he only just survived last time. Unless blindly arrogant. I honestly thought he must have got a big $ offer from Europe. If he did think it was ok that would imply he thinks himself bigger than the game as Kafer says. And as for freedom of speech if he was a white nationalist preaching Nazi hate would we even be having this discussion? The Nazis said this kind of stuff about gays also.
Purdo
Roar Rookie
It's great to see the debate over Israel's behavior based on his fundamental Christianity, and the amount of interest shown in the debate. I think this debate touches on one of the great conflicts in the world, the one between adhering faithfully to the teachings of religion and changing our minds when we see that new facts now available make the things we were taught as children untenable, or the things that seemed true many centuries ago untenable today. The trouble with faith is that it does not "make the things we hope for real", unless the "things we hope for" are inherently realistic. In his post on the reaction to Israel's post, Billy Vunipolu(?) was upset that the things he grew up believing have been insulted. I do feel for him, but we can't go on believing what we are taught as children when we learn the facts of life. We all have to change what we believe as we learn more. I have changed my beliefs over the past fifty years, and I hope Billy Vunipolu will do the same. Religion is not open to argument, because faith stymies argument. Those who doubt the incredible claims of religion are told to have faith. The virtue of science is that scientific claims are open to being proved wrong by argument from evidence and logic. The conflict between old time religion and a modern (scientific?) view of the world needs to be addressed. My clock radio woke me this morning with a discussion of whether the Zionist government in Israel after their election may go on annexing parts of the occupied territories with the support of the Trump-led (and very Christian) USA. I am appalled to think how difficult it is going to be to harmonise the competing faiths in the world, and for us people in the world to address the problems we need to address to ensure our survival as a species. There would be the material for many books in this problem. At least a long essay would me needed to tease out and address many of the issues implicit here. In the end, I don't think the roar will easily deal with this issue, because it's a footy forum after all. The issues raised are vital, and the interest is encouraging. Can we hive off a sub forum to continue the religious and ethical debate? It needs to be had. My view for what it's worth is that fundamental religions have untenable teachings, but also quite a lot of wisdom. The wisdom of Christianity is that we should love one another, and forgive those who trespass against us. I don't agree with Israel's or Bily's implied theology. I don't think I must be impressed by their faith. I'm sorry that Israel put himself and Rugby Australia in the position they are now in.
Rugby Geek
Roar Rookie
Tad tough on RC and labeling her is close to hate speech. But I do agree there is a lot of keyboard warrior stuff. Cool heads need to prevail. Would like you to offer a possible solution?
concerned supporter
Roar Rookie
I don't think IF needs to be told by RA or coaches Gibson or Cheika to watch what he says, more likely the responsibility of his management or lawyer. He was a Morman, but in 2011 converted to Assembly of God. Who wants to listen to bible bashers who cherry-pick parts of the Old Testament to suit their agenda. There would be several parts of both the Old & New Testament which would conflict with IF's quotations.
Chas
Guest
'Folau has not been sacked and I guess he won’t.' Me too
Rugby Geek
Roar Rookie
Personally I have a special place in my support for the convicts over many years. No more than one day last year when playing a Div 6 game they told me that they are more than happy to have straight players because to be inclusive is to be inclusive! That is just so impressive! But we all agree that Izzy has not been good with this style of call out. He is not calling ng on mass bashing’s or death etc. So keep it in perspective, but that still does not make it ok. In a perfect world we want him being more inclusive and scoring tries at the RWC. My challenge to Roarers is to find out how to get there!
Realist
Guest
Disagree. The Goth Sloth is running scared - taking the easy option in sacking Folau to avoid a blow-back from journos linking a slap on the wrist as tolerance of ‘dangerous extremism’. She’ll probably even use it as an excuse for the inevitable poor performance in October. If only the patients hadn’t taken over the asylum, we could all have a mature discussion, even laugh at how ignorant and weak minded these evangelical ideals are. The mature approach would be challenging Folau to be ‘man enough’ to issue a public apology and give him a public dressing down in the media. When it comes to raising children, give me Folau anyday over the likes of Chieka, AAC, Phipps, 9-Lives Beale or Fletcher Christian Hooper. Everyone needs to take a step back from this and take a deep breath. Some of the pious lectures being dished out on this website has been nothing short of hypocritical and nauseating.