NRL TEAMS - 2024 Round 4
3 days ago | LeagueUnlimited Media
The ARLC faces a significant credibility test, and you could almost put your last dollar on it fluffing it badly.
The
demise of Israel Folau's career in the AFL is hardly surprising. He has
cost the AFL a poultice of money....money deliberately targeted at
undermining rugby league in Western Sydney and to a lesser extent South
East Queensland.
Folau willingly participated in that exercise and was given a contract
that was wholly over the top of any reasonable assessment of his worth
for doing so.
He participated in AFL stunts designed to promote the code, and undermine rugby league, especially at the grass roots level.
If the ARLC does not take these factors fully into account before he
gets a free pass back into rugby league for the 2013 season then it has
singularly failed in its duty to the greatest game of all.
I can
recall the era when rugby was still an amateur code, and any player who
had taken the dollars to play rugby league and then wanted to switch
back to rugby was barred for several seasons from doing so.
I do not care a fig if this means Folau can't play for the Maroons in 2013.
What
I care about is the integrity of rugby league...and about ensuring
players who stick with the game are not disadvantaged by the return of
code jumpers who have failed elsewhere and want an open ticket back into
the game.
Consideration needs to be given to making him sit out the 2013 season,
unless he can come up with exceptional circumstances that justify what
he has done today.
And if that means he goes to rugby union, or takes up hockey, or basketball, then so be it.
Looking online as I write there is already speculation he is joining the Eels in 2013.
Where is the ARLC?
It needs to step in NOW and say it won't automatically approve a contract to play rugby league in 2013.
It needs to be pro-active, take control of the issue, and decide first
and foremost what is in the best interests of rugby league, not Israel
Folau.
If signing Folau means that one or two loyal NRL players have
to be axed, then I for one believe that just should not be allowed to
happen.
It is not to happen, sadly, in my view.
He will be welcomed back with
open arms, and all the stunts he willingly participated in over the
last couple of years will be forgiven and forgotten.
And quite frankly the officials who give him a free pass, and club officials who sign him up, will have let the game down.