Kick traitor Israel Folau out of NRL forever
Steve Ricketts From: The Daily Telegraph April 30, 2010 12:00AM
FORMER Test centre Tony Currie has called for Israel Folau to be banned for life from returning to rugby league if the Broncos star switches to rugby union with the Melbourne Rebels.
Currie said rugby league had to take a stand against code defectors and reward loyalty, but also made it clear he was not singling out Folau.
He said North Queensland Cowboys captain Johnathan Thurston should be in the same boat if he switched codes, with French union clubs interested in his services.
Thurston reaffirmed this week it was a choice between the Cowboys and union and he would not play for a rival NRL club.
A veteran of eight Tests for Australia and 13 State of Origin games for Queensland between 1982 and '89, Currie said he was concerned the whole culture of rugby league was being ruined by a grab for cash.
"There is not enough money in the game to sustain the wages some players are asking," said Currie who was part of the management team of the Indigenous All Stars side which defeated the NRL All Stars in February.
"I say, let them go if players want to switch to union or AFL, but ban them from returning to our game as they often do looking to set themselves up for life after football, like Wendell Sailor.
"Good luck to Wendell with his media career, but I don't want to see that situation happening over and over again.
"How old is Thurston? 27. There were 10 or more years put into the kid to get him to where he is today. All that money, time and effort by coaches, the ladies in the canteen, the people who wash the jerseys.
"The players forget that. If they want to go, I say 'See you later', but don't try to come back for a big pay day after two or three years in another code.
"You've got to reward loyalty and remember the development work of many people, even if the players don't.
"Too many players want to take, take, take and give nothing back. I think some are a bit greedy and if $400,000 is not enough it's obvious the culture has to change.
"We have to take a stand and the players have to know there will be consequences."
Besides Sailor, other players to return to league from union include Timana Tahu, Lote Tuqiri, Mat Rogers, Clinton Schifcofske, Ryan McGoldrick, Henry Paul, Brad Thorn (now back with rugby) and British internationals Brian Carney (who is now a league commentator) and Lee Smith.
Broncos CEO Bruno Cullen said plans to ban players from returning to rugby league had been discussed before.
"It is an issue that gets raised, but in some ways you bite off your nose to spite your face," Cullen said.
"It would be hard to argue that the guys who have returned to league recently haven't added value to the game."
St George Illawarra's South African-born prop Jarrod Saffy is expected to confirm a switch of codes in 2010 to join the Rebels next year. Saffy came to the Dragons from Sydney University Rugby Union.
