Israel Folau considered ending his career during his enforced 10-month exile from rugby and admits he is nervous ahead of his Super League debut.
Israel Folau says he considered ending his career during his enforced 10-month exile from rugby and admits he’s nervous ahead of his Super League debut.
The 30-year-old dual-code Australian international will make his first appearance for Catalans Dragons against Castleford at Stade Gilbert Brutus on Saturday (Sunday, 4am AEDT).
Folau has not played since being sacked by Rugby Australia last May for posting homophobic comments on social media, and it is a decade since the former Melbourne, Brisbane and Queensland superstar last played rugby league.
“Yes of course I thought about ending my career and to do other things,” Folau said in an interview with Perpignan newspaper L’Independant.
“I thank the president and my coach for this opportunity they have given me. It’s like a new start for me and I am very excited to return to the sport in which I became known.
“I haven’t played 13-a-side for 10 years, so I am also pretty nervous. But the environment is favourable, between the staff and the players, so that I can give my best.
“I am here to be competitive, to play rugby and be consistent with my performances for the team.
“It’s great to come back in a new team environment and to find a training routine with the others, but the most important thing is to give the best for my team.”
Folau was the centre of unprecedented media attention when he ran out for the final team run at the stadium on Friday morning.
The Catalans have come under huge criticism from both Super League and the Rugby Football League as well as fellow clubs for their signing of the former Wallabies and NSW Waratahs player, but coach Steve McNamara believes he deserves a second chance.
“You only see the headline, you don’t know the person,” the former England boss told the PA news agency.
“Once you see this person as a man, you understand him more and realise it’s not a life sentence what he did.
“We don’t agree with it, absolutely. But let’s get him on the field and we can talk about some other things.”
Folau’s arrival is timely, given the Dragons’ unfortunate start to the season.
They suffered a surprise 32-12 home defeat by Huddersfield a fortnight ago and had their second-round game at Wakefield last Sunday called off because of the weather.
With next week’s scheduled league game against St Helens falling victim to the World Club Challenge, the Catalans could soon find themselves at the wrong end of the table but McNamara is only focusing on Saturday.
“We didn’t get round one right – Huddersfield played well against us – but we’re not looking at long term, we’re just trying to get it right for this week,” he said.
“We’ve had a difficult approach to this week’s game because of the circumstances around it so we’ve just got to concentrate on getting that right and playing a whole lot better this week.”
Gepetto
Roar Rookie
If the material Folau posted on Instagram is so harmful ( I don't think he drafted the post), this site and the major newspapers should not have republished it.
Paulo
Roar Rookie
WayneS, I'm just curious what you think about Rugby? Leaving Folau and Raelene and RA aside, what do you actually think about Rugby? Because that is what most of us on here actually want to talk about, but I am finding it hard to find any comment from you that isn't linked to Folau or Castle. Of course, you are completely free to only discuss them and not actually rugby, but I am curious who you follow? What you think about the season so far? Who you think might be at the end of the comp to face the Crusaders in the final?
Paulo
Roar Rookie
WayneS, how do you know those groups are pushing agendas? I checked and you are not on any of the emailing group co-coordinating the agenda movements.
Paulo
Roar Rookie
And RA wanted for him not to be re-instated, to leave the issue alone and walk away (like he said he would), and not have a long drawn out and expensive court case. I'm well aware that the apologies issued were scripted and with purposeful legalese wording. I'm well aware they are not worth the paper they were dictated on, I only bring them up as a counter point for those trying to sell the 'Israel won' spin. No one really won or lost, they all got basically what they wanted. " They were after an apology and a settlement based on half that amount " - exactly, an apology that was as worthless as his own apology he was forced to make. So, that is a zero sum balance. It also highlights his greed in pumping up the figure based on suppositions that were so ridiculous I thought it was a spoof news article when I first read them. As for the settlement, you highlight his true motivation perfectly; he wanted money. He didn't want freedom to express his religion (proven by him signing a new contract restricting him to not carry on like he has), he didn't want to fight for everyone's right for freedom ( which was his spin on 'fund me'), he didn't want to champion the hard done by Christians being restricted and discriminated agasint (that the ACL was tag lining). He wanted Money, cash, greenbacks, he clearly really only wanted to worship the Almighty... ...Dollar.
Ruckin Oaf
Guest
Hey WayneS, So there's no issue with the factual accuracy of EastsFootyFan then ? Might I respectfully suggest that you play the ball and not the man.
EastsFootyFan
Roar Guru
Likewise Wayne - I imagine living with someone like yourself that fails to address basic truths and calls those who disagree with him names must be an endless bliss
WayneS
Roar Rookie
EastFootyFan…. hahaha Your very basic truths are only in your imagination unfortunately. You must be a delight to live with.
EastsFootyFan
Roar Guru
Yep - all this talk of second chances is from people that are intentionally lying to serve their narrow bigoted agenda.
EastsFootyFan
Roar Guru
You don't stick to facts Wayne, you ignore them and persist with labelling those you disagree with as a way to avoid very basic truths
EastsFootyFan
Roar Guru
Wayne, all I can say is that your failure to address any of the above points and facts demonstrates your bigotry is so insurmountably intense that you've rendered yourself incapable of engaging on matters of simple logic and truth.
WayneS
Roar Rookie
EastFootyFan.... Ask Folau if you really have a desperate need to know. By the way, I already asked you to stop the westie yobbo language so please don't call me champ.
WayneS
Roar Rookie
EastFootyFan… You are far too biased and bigoted to see the truth and obviously have some psychological baggage from something. I respectfully suggest you seek help and avoid confrontations.
WayneS
Roar Rookie
EastFootyFan… I don’t take much notice of what journos write. I stick to facts. They could call you a Guru but that wouldn’t mean that you had exceptional knowledge of all things but only one field of knowledge and certainly and obviously not spiritual.
EastsFootyFan
Roar Guru
@WayneS As Ruckin Oaf points out, Folau’s version of events was fundamentally the same as RA’s. Nowhere did he deny that he would walk away from the game if his beliefs were directly causing harm, yet he still insisted on causing harm and then went on to create more hard by taking them to court – asking people of lesser means to support him in the process. I just can’t fathom how you don’t see how deceitful, greedy and hypocritical that is. As for his religion’s “obligation to spread the word of his god” – that right there is a slippery slope given the doors it opens for the extreme and unsavoury views that fall under some of the Abrahamic faiths (although I look forward to your defence of them). All I can say is all you free speech warriors were awfully silent when Scott McIntyre got sacked from SBS for using his Twitter account to criticise the ANZACs (an act I supported SBS on btw – I’m consistent on this stuff unlike a lot of you). Nor did we hear a peep from anyone when the High Court upheld the right of the government to sack senior public servant Michaela Banerji for tweeting comments critical of government policy from an anonymous twitter account. It’s the contrast in your response to these separate but analogous cases that convinces me that you’re not interested in the rights of citizens to free speech, but rather limiting those rights to the religiously inclined.
EastsFootyFan
Roar Guru
Try your boy Trump - inherited all his money and used his power to give the rich tax cuts.
EastsFootyFan
Roar Guru
The laws have been dubbed "the Folau law" by some sections of the media such as the Aus. Are you being deliberately obtuse?
elvis
Roar Rookie
You still haven't answered the question about who these populist oligarchs are?
Ruckin Oaf
Guest
, I would rather accept his version of events The facts as outlined by EastFootyFan are consistent with Folau's version of events.
WayneS
Roar Rookie
Paulo... Don't be confused by the legal ploys involved in settlement disputes and mediation. Folau and his legal team were never after that amount. They were after an apology and a settlement based on half that amount and they were pretty successful in obtaining both their aims.
WayneS
Roar Rookie
EastFootyFan....Are you being deliberately misleading or just obtuse. There are no special laws being based on Folau. The proposed Religious Discrimination laws are a direct result of the attacks waged on those who opposed SSM and will fix the anomaly that religion was somehow not included in previous federal anti-discrimination legislation. The legislation will also protect atheists and agnostics like myself.