News Do you care if Israel Folau returns to the NRL?

[SBD82]

I can’t believe you guys are still going on about this. Haven’t you got more important things do?

What’s worse though? Going on about it? Or reading people going on about it?

 

[Perth Red]

he's taking up zero nrl cap space and it will forever be mystery what he could have earned.

I wouldn't be surprised if he was on less than $100k in the super league. No way in the world would it have been anywhere near $800k.

dragons are pretty cashed up and he was their marquee signing, I’d be surprised if it wasn’t nearer $400k given what the sl other marquees are reported to be earning. Silly money for an over the hill winger but that’s sport for you.

 

[Foreign Legion]

News reports of Folau’s desire to return to Australia, despite remaining contracted with Catalans until the end of 2021, have flooded Australia this week.

But none of those stories will raise eyebrows like the tale of star playmaker Maloney’s warm welcome for the triple code-hopper.

When Folau signed with Catalans 12 months ago, he reportedly got more than he bargained for when he joined the players’ private WhatsApp group.

According to rugby league reporter Andrew Webster, Maloney spammed Folau with gay pornography on the group message thread.



Webster told SEN’s Morning Glory with Matty Johns on Friday: “When he first joined Catalans, he joined the players’ WhatsApp group.

“And Jimmy Maloney, god help him, couldn’t help himself and just started bombarding him with gay pornography. And then he gave up.”

Folau didn’t appear to be too affronted by the hazing — signing a one-year contract extension with the French club in June.

Maloney said this week Folau would actually be a smart signing for any NRL team, despite the fact Folau hasn’t played in the NRL since he left the Broncos in 2010.

The former NSW State of Origin star even revealed Folau informed his teammates through the same WhatsApp group that he was exploring options for walking out on the team and returning to Australia.

Naden hit with fine after COVID breach

0:46
Maloney told the Sydney Morning Herald, Catalans players respected Folau’s decision to return home following news his mother-in-law had fallen ill.

“I think he would be good for the game, and you want the best players playing in the competition. He’d only make the NRL better,” he said.

“All the boys got along with him here, and when he told us why he wasn’t coming back we all understood.”

Folau’s return to the NRL now appears to be dead in the water, but he is reportedly eager to explore other opportunities in the league, according to NewsCorp.

He hasn’t played in the NRL since leaving the Broncos in 2010 and in 2019 had his contract with Rugby Australia torn up for making homophobic comments on social media, bringing an end to his illustrious Wallabies career.

Australian Rugby League Commission (ARLC) chairman Peter V’landys has previously said Folau’s views on homosexuality were not welcome in the NRL.

“The game is inclusive. Israel’s comments are not inclusive,” V’landys said in October 2019.

“When I was a kid and kids used to get bashed up because they were different, I used to go and defend them. And a lot of them, it’s because their role models or their peers made them that way.

“I have no tolerance for people that put other people’s lives (at risk) or (who commit) violence. It’s a big statement to make. With due respect to Israel, what he says, young kids listen to. He is a role model. They act on it. And when you’re a kid at school and you get bashed up because you’re different, I don’t think that’s a good thing.”


https://www.news.com.au/sport/nrl/n...y/news-story/e51ec086a7bbaa261e09811b4b9c18da

 

[Foreign Legion]

now we have footy players sending gay porn...........FML sounds like another law suit

 

[taste2taste]

What I can't wrap my head around is how the game welcomes convicted drug dealers, players guilty of assault and other misdemeanors but someone spreading the word of God is banned for life !
Are we saying as a society that the bibles teachings are worse than beating your wife or dealing illegal drugs ?

 

[Twizzle]

but someone spreading the word of God is banned for life !

It was hate speech rather than spreading the word of God, big difference

And he hasn't been banned for life, the Drags withdrew their offer so it never got to the stage of having the NRL reject him

 

[Perth Red]

What I can't wrap my head around is how the game welcomes convicted drug dealers, players guilty of assault and other misdemeanors but someone spreading the word of God is banned for life !
Are we saying as a society that the bibles teachings are worse than beating your wife or dealing illegal drugs ?

clearly it is to corporate backers. Like it or not bog companies dont want to be attached to sports that are not seen as progressive and inclusive. Not to mention players who have committed the things you say have been banned from the game if they don’t show contrition, don’t pay some sort of price and repeat offend.
Ps I think you meant to say spreading the word of “a” God as interpreted by some blokes over Millenia

 

[shear_joy9]

dragons are pretty cashed up and he was their marquee signing, I’d be surprised if it wasn’t nearer $400k given what the sl other marquees are reported to be earning. Silly money for an over the hill winger but that’s sport for you.

you're basing that just on his playing ability. At the time he signed with them he was radioactive; any club considering him was blasted in the media and by their fans. The catalans were basically Folau's only option in a professional league so it would have been a cut-price deal

 

[The_Frog]

Are we saying as a society that the bibles teachings are worse than beating your wife or dealing illegal drugs ?

The funny thing is, civilised western society sent missionaries into various countries including Pacific islands hundreds of years ago in an effort to get the inhabitants of those countries to conform to their belief systems. They were successful beyond their wildest dreams, but now civilised western society has changed its mind and the descendents of those it indoctrinated all those centuries ago are now being pilloried.

 

[The_Frog]

It was hate speech rather than spreading the word of God

The only difference I can ascertain between Israel Folou's graphic that caused all this kerfuffle, and 1 Corinthians 6, 10-11 (also known by its adherents as the Word Of God), is that the passage states across many versions that certain sinners (practitioners of homosexual acts among them) will not enter the Kingdom Of God, and Folou said they will go to Hell, which is a different wording. This would have been for dramatic effect, to make it more confronting (lets face it, if you tell someone they won't enter the Kingdom of God, most in our society wouldn't bat an eyelid and if he'd said that, I think he'd still be playing for the Wobblies), and it could be argued that Heaven and Hell are binary, entering the Kingdom of God equals Heaven, so if you're not going there you're going to the other place. Semantic really. But apart from that one thing, all he did is repeat wholesale what has been in the public domain for 2000 years, about 1999 years before the term hate speech was even thought of.

 

[Perth Red]

The funny thing is, civilised western society sent missionaries into various countries including Pacific islands hundreds of years ago in an effort to get the inhabitants of those countries to conform to their belief systems. They were successful beyond their wildest dreams, but now civilised western society has changed its mind and the descendents of those it indoctrinated all those centuries ago are now being pilloried.

ironic isnt it lol.
It’s almost like your suggesting society shouldn’t move forward and should forever more be stuck in narrow thinking paradigms!

 

[Perth Red]

. But apart from that one thing, all he did is repeat wholesale what has been in the public domain for 2000 years, about 1999 years before the term hate speech was even thought of.

hate speech as a paradigm has been around since forever, indeed it was mentioned by Socrates at his trial in 399bce, it’s hardly a new concept newly administered to Christians who are feeling persecuted lol

 

[The_Frog]

ironic isnt it lol.
It’s almost like your suggesting society shouldn’t move forward and should forever more be stuck in narrow thinking paradigms!

Society will move forward but it shouldn't forget where it has been, and therein lies the problem here.

 

[AJB1102]

Society will move forward but it shouldn't forget where it has been, and therein lies the problem here.

Its not forgetting where its been. Its recognised how f**ked up and detrimental religious garbage is/was and steering away from those same mistakes.

 

[Chimp]

Although Lodge and Packer’s actions were obviously awful, there is a key difference that I think gets missed: they showed contrition.

There’s no way that I can see Packer or Lodge putting up social media posts endorsing criminal violence. And the NRL loves a redemption story. They get to take credit for the violent young man who made bad choices and turned his life around.

Izzy on the other hand is not likely to ever apologise for what he’s done, as he doesn’t believe that what he has done is wrong.

So the best outcome for the NRL is that they are viewed as a place that ARU rejects can come and be given tacit approval for their antisocial views, and the worst case scenario is he does it again and they end up in a very public legal battle in the industrial courts.

Where’s the upside?

Your last line supports exactly where my head is on this - The NRL shouldn’t be forced to have to make a decision on this - their clubs should be strong enough to look at someone like Folau and think your know what, he can play a bit, but his views are horrendous and not something we can align ourselves with’. The NRL in my opinion shouldn’t be banning people for sharing their views - where needed (If a current or prospective NRL player has said something ridiculous like Folau) they should simply make a statement on how they vehemently disagree with their views and that the individual does not speak on behalf of our sport, and that they’re disappointed in what they’ve shared. The NRL should not be in the business of vetting anyone’s views, beliefs or rights of free speech. If an individual oversteps the Mark legally (inciting violence, homophobia etc) let the Police deal with it, and then sanction accordingly like any other crime.
This should be entirely down to the clubs to not want to sign an absolute merkin just because he might be able to play. In instances like Folau, the NRL should be having informal discussions with the club to advise of why hypothetical problems such a signing would cause, from both a PR perspective and from a club/NRL HQ future relations perspective.
All ‘banning’ does is create a wider platform for discussion which then gives the likes of Folau a bigger platform to spread their BS. He doesn’t deserve the attention.

 

[Smug Panther]

now we have footy players sending gay porn...........FML sounds like another law suit

I doubt a group chat in the world exists without gay porn and many other things being sent

 

[taste2taste]

Its not forgetting where its been. Its recognised how f**ked up and detrimental religious garbage is/was and steering away from those same mistakes.

Who's going to come forward and update the Bible ?

As it stands the bible doesn't look favourable on drunks, adulterers and a few others. I don't see why because someone adheres to these teachings they aren't allowed to step foot on a sporting field ever again.

Let's not beat around the bush, the reason Izzy was sacked by the Wallabies and other clubs don't want to touch him is because of the threat of sponsors pulling their money. So what it comes down to is a mans right to express his beliefs or the Almighty dollar.

 

[Smug Panther]

As per usual South Park nailed the insane practice of gay conversion therapy.

 

[Bazal]

I doubt a group chat in the world exists without gay porn and many other things being sent

Haha this bloke should have a go at a grade cricket chat....

 

[Bazal]

Who's going to come forward and update the Bible ?

As it stands the bible doesn't look favourable on drunks, adulterers and a few others. I don't see why because someone adheres to these teachings they aren't allowed to step foot on a sporting field ever again.

Let's not beat around the bush, the reason Izzy was sacked by the Wallabies and other clubs don't want to touch him is because of the threat of sponsors pulling their money. So what it comes down to is a mans right to express his beliefs or the Almighty dollar.

Actually what it comes down to is not being a f**kwit who brings reputational damage to his employer. This has already been discussed.