'Utter bulls***': The major untruth in the Israel Folau saga
A former Wallaby has used banned cricket duo Steve Smith and David Warner as an example to expose one major flaw in the argument around Israel Folau.
The 30-year-old was found guilty of a ‘high-level breach’ of his contract with Rugby Australia (RA) on Tuesday evening, with the star yet to learn the extent of his punishment.
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Folau was made to answer for an inflammatory post on Instagram in which he said “Hell awaits… drunks, homosexuals, adulterers, liars, fornicators, thieves, atheists, idolators.”
The NSW Waratahs star could have his RA contract ripped up, while major Wallabies sponsor Asics has dropped him as a brand ambassador over the scandal.
Folau is awaiting sanctioning after being found guilty of a “high level” breach of his contract and could have his four-year, $4 million deal terminated for his controversial social media posts.
One major part of the argument against Folau is the sense his controversial views have driven a wedge between like-minded Wallabies teammates and the rest of the Australia squad.
Wallabies great Will Genia took aim at Folau over his comments about homosexuals and Australia coach Michael Cheika has already admitted he would find it difficult to to pick the star in national colours again.
However, former Wallabies forward Jeremy Paul says the notion that Folau wouldn’t be welcomed back into the Wallabies fold if he were allowed to continue playing, is “absolute bulls***.”
“You’ve got to look at what happened in the cricket with the ball-tampering side of things,” Paul said on Fox Sports’ Bill and Boz program on Wednesday night.
“So to put it to rest, with all those saying, ‘will he be welcomed back by the players?’ — you take those three guys and the scrutiny they’ve been under for over a year.
“(They’ve been) pitched straight into the World Cup squad, how are they going to adjust to their players that they sold out in that cricket game over in South Africa, those guys that were the bowlers.
“There’s been no talk about those three guys coming back into the side and whether or not the players will want to play with them.”
“In team sport, you’ve got a job to do. If a decision from the hierarchy is made then you move on. I just wanted to put that to bed because a lot of people are making comments about players don’t want to play with him — that is utter bulls**t.
Folau counts cost of controversial comments
Paul’s comments come after sportswear brand Asics announced on Wednesday that it will cut ties with the Wallabies superstar.
“ASICS is dedicated to sport and its healthy contribution to society. We believe sport is for everyone and we champion inclusivity and diversity,” a statement from the company read.
“While Israel Folau is entitled to his personal views, some of those expressed in recent social media posts are not aligned with those of ASICS.
“As such, our partnership with Israel has become untenable and he will no longer represent ASICS as a brand ambassador.”
Asics signed a lucrative deal with Rugby Australia in 2018 which would see them as a major sponsor until the end of 2025.
The blow comes as insiders estimate Folau would have already outlayed in excess of $100,000 on legal representation for his landmark code of conduct hearing, the three-times John Eales Medallist may at some point ask himself if it is all worth it.
It’s been suggested Folau would be spending $25,000 a week on solicitor fees, even before stepping inside a hearing room.
Should he be sacked, then lose an appeal and take the matter to court, the financial cost to Folau could be astronomical.
With AAP