Code-crosser: Israel Folau
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Rugby league international Israel Folau has completed a high-profile code switch to play rugby union for the Waratahs next season.
The 23-year-old played 90 games for the Melbourne Storm (including two Grand Finals) and Brisbane Broncos from 2007-10 before announcing his switch to join the AFL in June 2010.
After two years, Folau left the Greater Western Sydney Giants at the start of last month and joins the Waratahs on a one-year contract.
"I'm really excited by this opportunity and looking forward to having a crack at union," he said, adding that a talk with Waratahs coach Michael Cheika persuaded him his future lies in union.
"We talked about what he wants to do with the team, the style of rugby he wants to play and the quality of the squad that he has, with all the Wallabies guys. That's what got me interested."
Comments
banjo says...
Aust Rugby is still massively missing a trick in my view. Being the 4th participation code, behind AFL, League and Soccer, Rugby's only option to be competative in the short term is to poach from other codes. AFL is simply the vast pool of talent in Australia by a county mile, massively dwarfs all else unfortunately. The body shape of the 16/17 year old that gets directed in the channel for AFL team contention is, in the main, the tall lanky roo dog with the skills and the ability to put on some mass. There is a vast quantity of untapped talent of guys with the skills, the body type that you play well in Rugby that are cast aside from AFL. Rugby needs to have guys hovering around the talent development and state level AFL team in the 13-16 year age bracket to hoover up the right guys at 17-18 when it is clear that they are not going to make it through to AFL top flight. Imagine the skill injection of having a prop who could pop the ball from boot pin point onto the corner or win the competition for the high ball against a wing!!!
Posted 13:11 06th December 2012
gowalesgo says...
Sounds like a fantastic athlete, it'll be interesting to see how he gets on. We need more x factor players in union
Posted 10:20 06th December 2012
sonsofsamoa says...
Go Izzy!! Don't listen to em haters!! Wishing you all the best for your new challenge!!
Posted 06:18 06th December 2012
isthatrightref says...
@ferdie... at this stage ARU has contributed nothing although IF he makes the wobblies next year he'll be in line for training camp & match payments same as everyone else outside the 30 who get ARU top-ups.
@jonesy2... NRL salary cap auditor was given a back-ended contract e.g. $250K in year 1, $600K in year 3 which he refused to register, obviously smelling a rat but also under pressure from other clubs to be consistent having knocked back similar deals earlier in the piece. He then put a $400K value on Folau which put Parra over their cap, NRLC agreed to bump everyone's cap up by $200K which put Parra back under the cap... but by then Izzy had had enough & backed out.
If nothing else this is a great marketing move, most of the gurnseys his former AFL club sold last year had Folau's number on the back... on t'other hand he's now the most reviled player in both AFL & NRL right now so maybe he won't be as marketable as the 'tahs obviously think?
Posted 20:28 05th December 2012
ferdie says...
Folau, from Oz news: More than 3 million over three years.
"The ARU made it clear in its comments on Folau signing up for the Waratahs that it saw a pathway for him into the Wallabies and then in 2016 with the Australian Sevens side competing at the Rio Olympics."
Guess that explains where the money is coming from so they can keep him under the Waratahs salary cap - a huge top-up contract from Wallabies bank account.
Posted 00:44 05th December 2012
Isograford says...
@blue_n_green Wing or Fullback according to their new coach.
Let's hope he doesn't do an SBW and just as he becomes the best in his position, he goes back to League.
Posted 17:49 04th December 2012
jonesy2 says...
woah woah woah woah whattt!!!!!!!!!!!???? this is huge news!how is it not the main article? i almost didnt see this!! get the overrated irishman off the front and put this there please. amazing. he was all but a parramatta eel last week what happened. mark my words this man will be the best centre or winger in rugby and will be wearing gold against the lions next year he is an absolute freak. will be better than SBW
Posted 14:21 04th December 2012
melkdave says...
Seems about right,every time a RWC is on the horizon,the ARU raid rugby league for players to bulk out their lack of talant actually coming though their own system .Wonder just how many will make the switch in 2013 .Myself thiking annother 2-3 .
Posted 14:12 04th December 2012
sirtidychris says...
Maybe he should get Khalid Hussain as his manager and give boxing a crack as well...sounds like he would fit in with that little group.
Posted 12:43 04th December 2012
blue_n_green says...
what position will he play ?
Posted 12:02 04th December 2012
tha_mai says...
his reported million-dollar deal . . . almost 20% of the 25-man squad's expenses on one man - the Australian Super teams have a salary cap of 5.2 million - they must be confident he's worth it to draw the crowds.
Does he box also?
Posted 11:05 04th December 2012