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

[Perth Red]

He is probably not the only person working/playing in the NRL that voted no to gay rights also he made his anti-gay remarks in a church where the majority would have the same view as him. I'm against his opinion on the topic but he has the right to have his opinion.

If a player was spouting racist shit at a klan meeting would it be ok as it’s in private? Or a Muslim player was spouting extreme Islamic sht at a mosque would it be ok? You know personal rights, freedom of speech, tolerance of the intolerant and all that.

 

[Foreign Legion]

If a player was spouting racist shit at a klan meeting would it be ok as it’s in private? Or a Muslim player was spouting extreme Islamic sht at a mosque would it be ok? You know personal rights, freedom of speech, tolerance of the intolerant and all that.

Or Perth bloke spouting why WA needs a nrl team.

 

[alexwilliams_66692007]

His f**ked up views aside who would think signing a bloke who hasn’t played in the NRL for over 10 years is a good idea?

St George

 

[The Great Dane]

If a player was spouting racist shit at a klan meeting would it be ok as it’s in private? Or a Muslim player was spouting extreme Islamic sht at a mosque would it be ok? You know personal rights, freedom of speech, tolerance of the intolerant and all that.

Assuming that A. they weren’t inciting violence, B. weren’t trying to use the NRL to spread their ideas without permission from their club/the NRL (which I don’t believe that Folau has done), and C. weren’t acting out their beliefs by refusing to play with people of other races/kafir or whatever (which again I don’t believe Folau has done), I’d have no issue with it.

Assuming that they follow those rules I have no issue with players expressing any other political, religious, or philosophical ideas either, but that’s because I have consistent principles, which are becoming an increasingly rare thing.

You don’t change people’s minds by punishing and persecuting them for their beliefs, that just further confirms their beliefs and radicalises them.

 

[BadnMean]

He is probably not the only person working/playing in the NRL that voted no to gay rights also he made his anti-gay remarks in a church where the majority would have the same view as him. I'm against his opinion on the topic but he has the right to have his opinion.

I agree with your opinion. But you are flat out wrong on the facts.

Folau made his slurs publicly. On instagram. A platform specifically designed for wide public dissemination. Repeatedly. After signing contracts to the contrary.The issue was never anti-church or anti people having an opinion.

It's the public pronouncements from Issy on the topic which have been the issue and which is why people think he is a trouble magnet.

 

[Deacon]

f**k Folau. Dragons are a disgrace and like all clubs need to wake up to the fact they are part of something bigger than themselves and should do what’s right for the nrl. Hope he signs and all their sponsors walk, might be the lesson clubs need to wake the f**k up!

They were consulted before the club approached the nrl, they have no issues with it

 

[MugaB]

I personally don't want him back coz he left for the big pay day into other codes in the first place, also the belief system that he chooses to pubically spout, draws negativity back to rugby league if he was allowed to come back. Its not about what he actually said, its that he wouldn't, but did it anyway. So i don't blame RU for giving him das boot, or PVL saying nope, before he went to ESL

Thats personally my issue, just like SBW and Hayne returning after their stints in other codes, feels like an easy payday for those to comeback to, like we are 4th tier sport to them

 

[Bazal]

If a player was spouting racist shit at a klan meeting would it be ok as it’s in private? Or a Muslim player was spouting extreme Islamic sht at a mosque would it be ok? You know personal rights, freedom of speech, tolerance of the intolerant and all that.

Not defending Folau by any means, but those are very different and much like the DV comparison earlier, not really equal.

I would suggest that just attending a Klan meeting would be cause for concern, for example...

 

[JJ]

Can’t we all agree that his views are appalling and stupid?

but seriously given the other trash behaviours the NRL has excused, it’s weird that Folau would be the worst possibility...

I’m ambivalent tbh, with RTS going I’d be ok with him at the Warriors, he’ll we had Packer and were sniffing around JDB and Lodge

 

[Valheru]

I still find it completely bewildering that people are more up in arms over a dude who put out a mean tweet playing our game, then dudes who have bashed their Mrs

This

Packer nearly killed someone and Lodge terrorised a whole family yet both were allowed back to play.

Old mate who thinks gay people are going to a mythical placed called hell shouldn't be allowed to play though apparently.

 

[Valheru]

I find this a bewildering and irrelevant comment given most of the blokes in here who think Izzy is a f**kwit have also said the same about blokes who have been proven to have bashed their missus and scum like Matt Lodge, AFAIK.

It's not about what fans are saying.

At the end of the day the NRL have allowed the likes of Lodge, Packer, Tetevano etc. to be registered so I don't really see what justification there is to not register Folau who hasn't broken any laws.

 

[Bazal]

It's not about what fans are saying.

At the end of the day the NRL have allowed the likes of Lodge, Packer, Tetevano etc. to be registered so I don't really see what justification there is to not register Folau who hasn't broken any laws.

Ok but the comment I responded to was exactly 100% about what fans are saying, so....

Once again, they can employ or not employ who they like. Their failings regarding other f**kwits don't make it mandatory for them to repeat those failings.

I hope they steer clear, which they are well within their rights to do...but if they choose to take that risk then that's their decision as a business too.

 

[Valheru]

Ok but the comment I responded to was exactly 100% about what fans are saying, so....

Once again, they can employ or not employ who they like. Their failings regarding other f**kwits don't make it mandatory for them to repeat those failings.

I hope they steer clear, which they are well within their rights to do...but if they choose to take that risk then that's their decision as a business too.

Ok fair enough

I'm wondering to what extent they actually have a right to not register him given the club (dragons) are the ones offering employment.

If the dragons themselves (as opposed to Izzy) challenged it in court, it would make for an interesting case.

 

[mave]

Relocate Izzy to Perth.

 

[Dogs Of War]

You just know that reporters will be hanging out at Hillsong waiting for Folau to do a sermon or something where he says some idiotic stuff that will be front-page news. Disaster waiting to happen.

 

[betcats]

You just know that reporters will be hanging out at Hillsong waiting for Folau to do a sermon or something where he says some idiotic stuff that will be front-page news. Disaster waiting to happen.

Yep, the dragons are insane. This dope will be getting goaded to say something every time he is front of the media.

 

[The_Frog]

If a player was spouting racist shit at a klan meeting would it be ok as it’s in private? Or a Muslim player was spouting extreme Islamic sht at a mosque would it be ok? You know personal rights, freedom of speech, tolerance of the intolerant and all that.

These things you mention would be illegal, right? Quoting scripture isn't.

Yep, the dragons are insane. This dope will be getting goaded to say something every time he is front of the media.

This happened when Catalans played in England as well. He seemed to manage OK.

 

[betcats]

These things you mention would be illegal, right? Quoting scripture isn't.


This happened when Catalans played in England as well. He seemed to manage OK.

Fair enough, I think the NRL media is going to go at him a lot harder though if the NRL allows him to be registered.

 

[The_Frog]

Or the others were such open & shut cases of douchebaggery that there was no need for long threads, whereas there are still a few people willing to go in to bat for Issy's right to denigrate other people. Publicly. Even when he promises not to. I reckon the thread length has more to do with that.

It is a sign of a robust democracy when all views are heard. I suspect the issue here is that corporations, in the main sporting bodies, but frequently whilst being leaned on by huge corporate sponsors, are being used to take on functions that are not their role. There are certain things you aren't allowed to say now, and they are contained in legislation, passed by elected Parliaments. If it is desired to expand the list of things you can't say, thereby reducing the robustness of our democracy, the place for that is Government, not privately run and unelected sporting bodies that act in their own interests and can be influenced by social and mainstream media. The fact that Government won't pass such laws is why we're seeing unelected corporations being pressured to police speech. There are good reasons Governments won't pass such laws.

 

[Zadar]

f**k Folau. Dragons are a disgrace and like all clubs need to wake up to the fact they are part of something bigger than themselves and should do what’s right for the nrl. Hope he signs and all their sponsors walk, might be the lesson clubs need to wake the f**k up!

the Melbourne storm have disgraced the league and treated it with contempt for years, Folau would have fitted in seamlessly with them.