'Defence was weak': Experts weigh in on Folau ruling

Veteran sports reporter Robert Craddock has predicted Israel Folau will appeal the decision to void his Rugby Australia contract and labelled his case ‘weak’ in a revealing television segment.

News Corp writer Craddock appeared on Fox Sports show The Back Page to discuss the fallout from Folau’s hearing.

The NSW Waratahs and Wallabies star’s future is in doubt, after he was found guilty of a ‘high-level breach’ of the terms of his RA contract.

Craddock said the decision was “ one of the most significant moments of the sporting century”.

“We’ve seen one of the most significant moments of the sporting century in Australia, in that a powerhouse rugby union player who is Australia’s best player heading into a World Cup, will be banished from the game, probably for good,” Craddock said on the program.

“It is a decision that will echo through generations — it is a huge story and if you think the bushfire is burning now, wait until you see the follow up in the next few days.”

According to Craddock, Folau’s legal team presented a defence which centred on how the 30-year-old was merely posting the words of the Bible.

“I thought his defence was weak,” Craddock said.

“He went in there saying they weren’t my words, they were the Bible’s words.

“But when you’ve been warned about four times and you post that, I’m sorry, that’s just inflammatory.

“That’s going to burn the building down.”

Folau took to Instagram to proclaim "hell awaits" for "drunks, homosexuals, adulterers, liars, fornicators, thieves, atheists, idolators".

While he may yet be spared the sack, termination of his contract is now a possibility.

Had the panel deemed Folau's breach of RA's players' code of conduct anything less than "high level", the governing body would not have had the power to boot the three-times John Eales Medallist out of the game.

The best punishment Folau can now hope for is a suspension and/or a fine.

The sanction is not expected to be handed down for several days, with RA not offering a timeline on any decision.

Folau also has the right of appeal, a process that would involve a completely new three-person panel being selected.

Should he be sacked, Folau - Super Rugby's all-time leading try-scorer and a 73-Test stalwart for the Wallabies - would be the first Australian athlete dismissed for expressing fundamental religious beliefs.

Even before it potentially reaches the courts, the Folau hearing has developed into one of the most drawn-out legal stoushes in Australian sports history.

The hearing stretched 22 hours over three days, with any hopes of a "common sense" settlement - as NSW Waratahs chairman Roger Davis had hoped for on Monday - were blown out of the water by Tuesday night's sensational development.