Folau set to depart the Dragons ?

[jacobus]

39 minutes ago, Lowdesert said:

I read that Catalans have signed Whare from Penrith.  He is a centre, so presumed that this was to replace a Folau.  

I don’t think Guasch or SMac are green enough to be convinced by anything Folau does.

He was to replace David Mead I read somewhere. 

[Damien]

Catalans should refuse to release him unless St George pay a fee. They invested in him, took a punt and gave him a lifeline when no one else would. Its the least they deserve.

[graveyard johnny]

58 minutes ago, Damien said:

Catalans should refuse to release him unless St George pay a fee. They invested in him, took a punt and gave him a lifeline when no one else would. Its the least they deserve.

sounds totally fair to me

[BrisbaneRhino]

I love Paul Gallen's twisted logic on Folau. Apparently the NRL should allow him in due to their policy of inclusion for all, despite the fact his views are completely exclusionary. 

He does go on to question how good Folau will be though.

Media today has been interesting. Channel 9 breakfast roundly condemned Folau playing NRL, ditto some other outlets. 

If I was the NRL I wouldn't be happy with St George handing them this dumpster fire to deal with.  The PR could have been managed in a much more controlled way - e.g. getting Folau and his wife interviewed sympathetically to show what nice people they are and to wordsmith something along the lines of not wanting to hurt anybody 9without apologising or backing down of course), and a broader strategy to humanise him. That should all have been done before anyone announced signing him. Anything along those lines now will just look like cynical hackwork. 

At best St George are using the media reaction to work out whether or not to sign him. At worst (which seems far more likely given the release of McInnes) they had already decided to go ahead and either didn't understand or care at all about the sport as a whole or the potential negative impact on their own club.

[gingerjon]

St George drop their pursuit of Folau

https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/dragons-pull-pin-on-israel-folau-deal-after-extraordinary-general-meeting-20210203-p56z9q.html

[jacobus]

I wonder if he will be off to the Top14 ?

Not sure I see a way back to Catalans despite the articles claiming he is trying to allay their fears. 

Who guessed this time last year that this would all end up being a mess

[Davo5]

24 minutes ago, gingerjon said:

St George drop their pursuit of Folau

https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/dragons-pull-pin-on-israel-folau-deal-after-extraordinary-general-meeting-20210203-p56z9q.html

What a shame

[Manfred Mann]

This is good news for fans of rugby league in France. It now seems likely that Izzy will stay with Catalans, and perhaps begin to show what a talented player he really is.

Interesting that with Inglis at Warrington and Folau at Catalans we will have both centres from the champion Melbourne Storm team of 2008 playing in Super League.

 

[gingerjon]

21 minutes ago, Manfred Mann said:

This is good news for fans of rugby league in France. It now seems likely that Izzy will stay with Catalans, and perhaps begin to show what a talented player he really is.

Interesting that with Inglis at Warrington and Folau at Catalans we will have both centres from the champion Melbourne Storm team of 2008 playing in Super League.

Have his real and genuine and absolutely true concerns about travel, quarantine and family all been resolved?

That is good news. I was so worried.

[Davo5]

37 minutes ago, Manfred Mann said:

This is good news for fans of rugby league in France. It now seems likely that Izzy will stay with Catalans, and perhaps begin to show what a talented player he really is.

Interesting that with Inglis at Warrington and Folau at Catalans we will have both centres from the champion Melbourne Storm team of 2008 playing in Super League.

Didn’t Inglis play stand off in the 2008 season when Melbourne finished as losing Grand Finalists.

I seriously doubt we’ll get to see those versions in Superleague this year.

[Manfred Mann]

Melbourne Storm centre Israel Folau.

 

[Davo5]

Folau’s replacement ?

https://www.zerotackle.com/panthers-veteran-set-for-exit-amid-two-year-deal-abroad-nrl-97802/?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=Zero+Tackle&fbclid=IwAR1E_0jEV7wyS9f6iOOpH2RdTj9GdX3Smz9C2CpBwPAOTq0a2z2FAYOZfSM

[Eddie]

11 hours ago, BrisbaneRhino said:

I love Paul Gallen's twisted logic on Folau. Apparently the NRL should allow him in due to their policy of inclusion for all, despite the fact his views are completely exclusionary. 

He does go on to question how good Folau will be though.

Media today has been interesting. Channel 9 breakfast roundly condemned Folau playing NRL, ditto some other outlets. 

If I was the NRL I wouldn't be happy with St George handing them this dumpster fire to deal with.  The PR could have been managed in a much more controlled way - e.g. getting Folau and his wife interviewed sympathetically to show what nice people they are and to wordsmith something along the lines of not wanting to hurt anybody 9without apologising or backing down of course), and a broader strategy to humanise him. That should all have been done before anyone announced signing him. Anything along those lines now will just look like cynical hackwork. 

At best St George are using the media reaction to work out whether or not to sign him. At worst (which seems far more likely given the release of McInnes) they had already decided to go ahead and either didn't understand or care at all about the sport as a whole or the potential negative impact on their own club.

Humanise him? What are you on about? 

[Dunedan]

When you sign a weasel you get a weasel...

Not going to miss him - don't think he should've been allowed into Super League in the first place.

[Eddie]

9 minutes ago, Dunedan said:

When you sign a weasel you get a weasel...

Not going to miss him - don't think he should've been allowed into Super League in the first place.

Strong words. Why don’t you think he should have been allowed into SL?

[Dunedan]

25 minutes ago, Eddie said:

Strong words. Why don’t you think he should have been allowed into SL?

Really? You really have to ask that?

I don't think he should've been allowed into Super League because I don't think bigots and homophobia should be in a competition that is supposed to be inclusive.

I would've thought that was obvious.

[Dunbar]

12 hours ago, BrisbaneRhino said:

I love Paul Gallen's twisted logic on Folau. Apparently the NRL should allow him in due to their policy of inclusion for all, despite the fact his views are completely exclusionary. 

I think Gallen's views are entirely reasonable.

Let's remember, all Folau has done is address the views of many many millions of people across the world and many of the people who play Rugby League as well.  His mistake was to express his views extremely poorly and continue to do so after being warned to stop by the ARU.  If he had expressed his deeply held beliefs in a more considered manner there would have been no furore (and he would still be playing for the Wallabies).

Surely inclusivity means you should welcome those that you do not align with.

[Eddie]

11 minutes ago, Dunedan said:

Really? You really have to ask that?

I don't think he should've been allowed into Super League because I don't think bigots and homophobia should be in a competition that is supposed to be inclusive.

I would've thought that was obvious.

I don’t think it’s obvious that you’d want someone banned from playing sport because they have an opinion that’s different to the majority of us, no. If he’d harmed anyone or invited violence yes, but as far as I’m aware he hasn’t. As a drinker and former fornicator he thinks I’m going to hell too, but it doesn’t bother me he can think what he likes. 

[Damien]

12 minutes ago, Dunedan said:

Really? You really have to ask that?

I don't think he should've been allowed into Super League because I don't think bigots and homophobia should be in a competition that is supposed to be inclusive.

I would've thought that was obvious.

I do not agree with Super League banning players that are legally allowed to play here. I don't think the games administrators should be able to rule on a whim and be judge, jury and executor. I don't see how anyone can decide on some arbitrary line when so many players playing the game are far from angels.

I'd like to think that clubs have standards and lead by example. The onus should be on them to make the call and deal with the consequences of that call. St George seem to have second thoughts because of the possible consequences and its only right in my opinion that the call is up to them.

[Dunedan]

4 minutes ago, Eddie said:

I don’t think it’s obvious that you’d want someone banned from playing sport because they have an opinion that’s different to the majority of us, no. If he’d harmed anyone or invited violence yes, but as far as I’m aware he hasn’t. As a drinker and former fornicator he thinks I’m going to hell too, but it doesn’t bother me he can think what he likes. 

You're mileage may vary. That's a call for you to make.

Given the context of who we are talking about, I would have thought it was obvious what anyone's objection might be though.

[graveyard johnny]

at the end of the day - a club made an enquiry about signing a player from another club and that's all- if it had been most other players it would hardly have nudged the radar of the news 

[BrisbaneRhino]

Eddie - by 'humanise' I mean try to get some air time to show he's a person and not just some ranting evangelical crazy.  Its management 101 to try to rehabilitate his image a bit before the Dragons announced anything.

Not at all surprised this happened. Dragons yet again showing what an amateurishly run club they are - cause a stink then don't sign Folau and lose McInnes into the bargain.

This either fell apart because the NRL told them to get stuffed, or all those sponsors that supposedly backed signing Folau turned out to have fried in the real world.  More likely they didn't really do any consultation, including with some of their own board.

 

 

[OMEGA]

14 hours ago, Manfred Mann said:

This is good news for fans of rugby league in France. It now seems likely that Izzy will stay with Catalans, and perhaps begin to show what a talented player he really is.

Interesting that with Inglis at Warrington and Folau at Catalans we will have both centres from the champion Melbourne Storm team of 2008 playing in Super League.

 

The key part of your post is “2008” what a sad reflection on Super League that two of our play off clubs are recruiting old Aussies that we’re plying their trade in the NRL 13 years ago!

[Taniwha Warriors]

16 hours ago, Dunedan said:

Really? You really have to ask that?

I don't think he should've been allowed into Super League because I don't think bigots and homophobia should be in a competition that is supposed to be inclusive.

I would've thought that was obvious.

Yeah, lets just allowed wife beaters, drug cheats and ? 

[gingerjon]

51 minutes ago, Taniwha Warriors said:

Yeah, lets just allowed wife beaters, drug cheats and ? 

We shouldn't allow those either TBH. Not without an expectation that those who fall into that category address their behaviour.

And I'm aware that this affects a number of players. The fact that it does should cause us some concern. The fact that it usually doesn't "because what they do on the pitch is all that matters" is also a problem.