Date set for Folau's code of conduct hearing

In a year that will see IF is on his way to his RA Code of Conduct Hearing on 4 May 2019 for media comments that have offended some sectors of the Australian community, Football Australia played an international fixture against Syria on 16 January 2019, a country that has been accused of ethnic cleansing and use of chemical weapons and one that has been a war-zone since 2012. Many media sources have reported that Syria has provided the perfect environment for Islamic State (IS) and al-Qaeda to flourish. The double standard between codes and amongst many Australians is amazing.

Definitely tongue in cheek TBH though, I've always had a problem with people selectively quoting verses out of context from the Bible, especially since the verses are often contradicted elsewhere, as is the case with the one Folau quoted

No difference in mana, qc title was abolished, in NSW, back in the 1990s I believe. Gleeson is one of the top silks in the country without doubt.

Can I offer you a A Rat and Sinking Ship metaphor? Most of the rats have already jumped onto rafts heading north, and the boarders have been publicly nailed shut for refugees with incompatible religious views

I am not sure if this is sarcasm or not but it echoes with my sentiments from an earlier post. Bible 2.0 edited by J.K. Rowling. A special addition contains 3 additional books - Refrigeration, Biology and one sponsored by durex.

Marto on a recent rugby show nailed it I believe. He said that IF is either seriously stupid after last year's fiasco or after his record breaking last try he decided it was time to move on. Lets face it, with Cheika still coaching the Wallabies what chance do they have of getting beyond the QF's at the world cup, so maybe he has decided to move on. The process we are going through now may just be a facade to cover him for when he takes up a more lucrative contract elsewhere. Despite all the criticism he has copped over his post, there are many out there that that do not believe he has done anything wrong and the reaction has been over the top.

Maybe it’s time for the Bible, Quran, Torah and other religious script to be rewritten to become more socially acceptable so as not to upset the people who don’t really believe in what they say anyway. – replacing the creation with the Evolution and Big Bang theories – removing all concepts of sin, heaven or hell, and – clearly marking all “miracles” as possible fiction/fairy tales should be a good start

I'm not a Christian but agree with Folau ????- quoting the Bible is not hate speech. There is something really deeply troubling about social media and how it's influence has so effectively dumbed down public debate- pretty much the opposite of what it was designed to do.. we think we are progressive but in reality have regressed to mediavel group think..

RA won’t decide this.

Justin Gleeson is an SC not a QC. In theory the same thing but different in terms of seniority and mana.

No one player is bigger than the game. RA is not going to "bend over backwards" for The Code Hopper.

Exactly. Read Paul Cully's article about Folau's Instagram. Nearly a post a week about Religion and nothing from RA. But he crossed a line with that particular one. A line we all know exists, including Folau. Perhaps when he posted on September 25, 2018; "We live in a day where Biblical truth is considered hate speech even among those who profess Christ. It is loving to tell the truth no matter how much it might hurt the hearers." somebody should have given him a gentle prod that its bullcrap. But I doubt it would've mattered.

The headline in the Herald said it all - "Folau hearing to be behind closed doors" what not in Martin Place? The Herald now owned by Nine is running an anti Rugby stance being the NRL station and of course the ARU not spending ad money in the herald in a competitive Sydney market. Of course the Herald rehired that know all malcontent Greg Growden to criticise and spread false gossip about Rugby once a week in a column of gossip and bile. How obvious can u get??.

I will not present myself as any sort of expert on these things and my thoughts more based on experiential processes and my own common sense. But it is very obvious to me that there are multitudes of articles and posts presenting this as a freedom of speech, right to religious beliefs and expression rather than a labour issue. Rugby Australia administer rugby not constitutional law and interpretation thereof. Folau’s hearing will only be about breach of contract and trust. It has no jurisprudence to reach beyond those parameters. It’s not even a court. Folau based on what we know is going to be dismissed based on breaking agreements. Then….. Folau will have to challenge the contracts legality based on those issues of human rights and privileges. It may even end up in a constitutional court hearing. But that’s where it becomes complicated. That’s when groups like LGBTI organizations etc. That is all parties who have a vested interest are also allowed legal counterchallenges and or testimony. It is also expensive and can take months even years. So many uncertainties but one certainty is that Folau will not be going to the World Cup as a player.

I didn't have the same takeaway from the article as you. I thought for the most part it it was centrist. Disagreeing with the philosophy of the message but supporting his right to have it. It was interesting that he identified that, speaking for Tongans, they have a variety of religious denominations, and Folau's specific views are only representative of a small subset of the community. The bit that concerned me was that that not only had it drawn religion into the debate, that rightly or wrongly it might drag the Tongan and pacific islander communities in along with it. In a recent GAGR podcast they gave some surprisingly insightful comments on the subject, suggesting that RA might have "stepped in" a much larger social issue. One that should be disconnected from Rugby, Religion and Race. The balance point between an individuals right to free opinion and an employers right to pay you to suppress it in a public forum.

Don't forget the crowdfunding campaign she put online within 24hrs of his passing, with no mention of where the money was going (one guess). When the numberplates are "Nades1" and "J0nah", once again, one guess who was behind it. Two questions, same answer. Piece of work.

@ TWAS. Quite possibly from when he brands of religion? It’s funny that he was the face of gay rugby in Australia.

I had a look around as you suggest and found a story of incredible irresponsibility by Jonah himself, ignoring the limitations imposed by his health problems on the time available to earn an income, indiscipline and profligate spending when he could barely afford treatment (eg. shelling out borrowed money for personalised number plates on two Mercedes). He bailed out his third father in law, a former bankrupt, soon after they met, by paying him $1.6 m for an apartment he had recently purchased for $0.9 m. His wife drives around in a $75,000 Porsche while fund raisers are held in Europe for a trust to educate his two sons. I read a couple of interviews in which she sings a sad song about how difficult her life is. Some provision was clawed back and shoveled into a trust controlled by the players' association, holding a couple of hundred thousand. The wife is permitted allocations for the benefit of her children only, which is easily manipulated of course. She quietly had a crack at wiping Jonah's estate from part ownership of some modest asset, by using her maiden name, but she was shortened up just in time by his solicitor and sole executor. As always it is a tale of stupidity, opportunism and greed. He's dead and they are doing alright. I well understand the expectations of extended family that they can continue lounging about giggling under a shady tree, in the child like belief that the free money will last forever.

The thing with this nonsense about RA not letting IF to express his beliefs and they are suppressing his freedom of religion, is that it isn't supported by the facts. I can only assume the people who are say RA wont let him express his beliefs do not follow him on insta, because if they did, they would see an overwhelming number of posts by IF referencing his faith and beliefs. RA have even LIKED some of these. It is solely the fact he targeted a specific group, and one which has a history of being unfairly targeted, marginalized, and harassed that has created the issue. I feel IF lawyers may have a hard time proving suppression of religious freedom given the abundance of freedom IF has enjoyed and has even been supported by RA in the past, notably when his message has been one of love

Not TWAS, I am curious to know where you got your user name from. It is a thinly veiled insult I used a year or so ago.