Israel Folau to walk away from rugby league to join GWS and AFL

[titansrawesome]

Israel Folau has decided to walk out on rugby league and will sign a $1 million-a-season contract with the Greater Western Sydney AFL team by week's end.

The stunning revelation was made by Mike Sheahan on Fox Sports' On The Couch - on the day pioneering code-switcher Karmichael Hunt turned up for his first day of work with the Gold Coast AFL franchise.

"The signing by Greater Western Sydney of Izzy Folau is imminent," Shean said on Monday night's Fox Sports weekly show.

"Some people are saying it's done, but it's certainly imminent. There would be an announcement, I suspect, within the next 24 hours that Folau will play AFL next year."

It is understood Folau has privately agreed to a deal - worth $3 million over three years - with the AFL's newest franchise, and has even stated he is keen to play at full-forward.

Folau's decision will come as a massive blow to the NRL and will give the new GWS franchise a huge boost in terms of its profile in the Sydney market.

Queensland officials will now have to wrestle with the merits of playing Folau in Origin II.

New Super rugby franchise Melbourne Rebels were officially ruled out of the race for one of league's hottest talents last Friday.

Folau, 21, grew up at Minto in western Sydney and will quickly settle back into the area with family when he starts the new mega-rich contract.

While sceptics will question the value of Folau's deal, AFL sources are confident he can make the transition - even comparing him to Hawthorn spearhead Lance Franklin due to his size, strength and speed. Folau has been tested by AFL experts and he was found to be strong in key performance areas.

?The same testing protocol that Karmichael Hunt went through Israel has gone through, and the same conclusions were drawn in terms of his capacity to successfully make the transition,? said the source.

Recently asked what role he thought he could play should he switch codes, Folau said: ?Maybe a full-forward or something like that. There would be a lot of skills I would have to learn to try to adapt to their game pretty quick. If I make the transition there, it's going to be a big challenge.?

GWS will enter the VFL - the second-tier competition in Victoria - next season, where Folau will see his first action of Australian Football. Sydneysiders can expect to see Folau for the first time in his new code in the NAB Cup competition in February.

Folau discussed his future with former Broncos teammate and Gold Coast Football Club recruit Hunt this week. Like Hunt, Folau's contract will be heavily paid as promotional work with his playing salary more relative to his experience.

While Brisbane and rugby's Rebels were only able to offer Folau around $500,000 per year, GWS and the AFL blew the other codes out of the water with their lucrative package.

In AFL terms, it is his kicking ability that remains the biggest question mark hanging over his potential performance levels.

But former Collingwood full-forward, renowned kicking coach and now Fox Sports commentator Brian Taylor said Folau's kicking skills could be brought up to speed.

?The really good teachers will tell you the blank canvas is better to work with than the one that has already been painted? Taylor said.

He said he understood the desire to play Folau at full-forward because other spots may not be suitable.

?There is no way he could play in the midfield,? he said.

?He would be asked to run flat out for eight minutes. That would be a real concern. If I was playing full-back on Israel Folau the first thing I would do is take him into traffic. Make him run. Make four or five leads.?

- with The Daily Telegraph

[DIEHARD]

Unbelievable!!!! What an idiot. Been in the works all year.

Drop him from Origin! Bring in Lote.

Also AFL people have a right to be pissed off with these players with no AFL exp being their games highest earners.

What do all these key defectors have in common? THEY ARE BRONCOS!

This is WAR with AFL, W-A-R! Grab a rifle and see you in the trenches!

[titanstattman]

Well thats 2 qlders gone from nrl and to the GAYFL oh nd walking out on the state......

[TITAN PETE]

The minute it is announced he has signed with Greater Wankers Sydney AFL he should be sacked immediately from the NRL to let the Donkeys bring another player through who may appreciate playing in the NRL......but i would expect they (Bruno Cullen & co) will just have a sook that the salary cap doesn't allow them to keep their stars ...but when the tissue box is empty they will throw everything at Ingliss

[Ryan]

Well thats 2 qlders gone from nrl and to the GAYFL oh nd walking out on the state......

Well KHunt was a kiwi, an over-rated one at that, and should never have disgraced the Maroon jumper in the first place.
And Folau grew up in NSW, so he already walked out on his state years ago.....

[DIEHARD]

Well KHunt was a kiwi, an over-rated one at that, and should never have disgraced the Maroon jumper in the first place.

I totally agree with you Ryan. I always thought that.

[Titan_Matchu]

Unbelievable!!!! What an idiot. Been in the works all year.

Drop him from Origin! Bring in Lote.

Also AFL people have a right to be pissed off with these players with no AFL exp being their games highest earners.

What do all these key defectors have in common? THEY ARE BRONCOS!

This is WAR with AFL, W-A-R! Grab a rifle and see you in the trenches!

I'm sorry DIEHARD but I have to disagree with you. First of all what is idiotic about earning 1.5 mil a season as a 21 year old? Secondly, dropping Folau from the Origin team is probably the worst thing they could do. It is sending out a message that if player inside the NRL (who are very capable of using their skills outside of rugby league) will not be picked, even if they are quite obviously the right man for the job.

Think about it this way if you were Mal Meninga and you picked a player who played well in origin one and knew that he had announced his retirement from RL at the end of this season would you still pick him? Of course you would, he is the best player for the job and if QLD are serious about winning Origin this year they will not take a risk like dropping Israel Folau. Also not picking him for Aus earlier this year and potentially QLD in a couple of weeks is going make Folau less inclined to return to the NRL. He will be 25/26 years old when he finishes his contract in the AFL and will most likely be in the prime of his career.

Thirdly, the only reason Folau's contract amount was inflated so high was because the Melbourne Rebels RU team was a serious contender for his signature. Had it not been for the Rebels coming into the Super 14 then I am highly doubtful Folau would get anything over what Karmichael Hunt got.

Fourthly, not all are from the Broncos. Ryan Cross was from the Roosters, Timana Tahu was from Parra, Mark Gasnier was from St George, Sonny Bill Williams was from the Bulldogs, Clinton Schifcofske was from Canberra and the Gold Coast Titans very own Mat Rogers was from Cronulla. Now if the next arguement is going to "yeah, but they all come back" well they haven't, those named I've listed right there shows not all have returned.

I'm sorry mate, as much as you would like this to be a war the AFL is already 10 steps ahead. The NRL need to realise where they are at and focus on the real threat which is Soccer. If the NRL keep making these stupid decisions Soccer will overtake within the next 10 years. Honestly I hope people read this and change their opinion because the current opinion is one that is going to dig the hole bigger for the NRL and rugby league in general.

[Steelers]

As far as I'm concerned, the AFL is forking out this money not for his potential playing ability, but for the publicity that this generates. NRL supporters, AFL supporters, soccer supporters, they will all tune in to see how Israel and Karmichael go. I don't think it will work as well as the AFL hope though. They are probably hoping that these 2 converts will bring 1000's of League supporters with them to support GC and GWS, but I highly doubt it. The best they can hope for in reality is a bit of early interest which will slowly wither away as we watch them become overshadowed by the real AFL talent.

To sum it up, the AFL have spent too much money on some PR which won't work as well as they want it to.

Fourthly, not all are from the Broncos. Ryan Cross was from the Roosters, Timana Tahu was from Parra, Mark Gasnier was from St George, Sonny Bill Williams was from the Bulldogs, Clinton Schifcofske was from Canberra and the Gold Coast Titans very own Mat Rogers was from Cronulla. Now if the next arguement is going to "yeah, but they all come back" well they haven't, those named I've listed right there shows not all have returned.

I think DIEHARD was referring ot those who have defected to AFL, not defected to another code in general.

[Coaster]

I heard they approached mark minochello cause they heard he droped the ball every 5 meters

[titansrawesome]

I'm sorry DIEHARD but I have to disagree with you. First of all what is idiotic about earning 1.5 mil a season as a 21 year old? Secondly, dropping Folau from the Origin team is probably the worst thing they could do. It is sending out a message that if player inside the NRL (who are very capable of using their skills outside of rugby league) will not be picked, even if they are quite obviously the right man for the job.

Think about it this way if you were Mal Meninga and you picked a player who played well in origin one and knew that he had announced his retirement from RL at the end of this season would you still pick him? Of course you would, he is the best player for the job and if QLD are serious about winning Origin this year they will not take a risk like dropping Israel Folau. Also not picking him for Aus earlier this year and potentially QLD in a couple of weeks is going make Folau less inclined to return to the NRL. He will be 25/26 years old when he finishes his contract in the AFL and will most likely be in the prime of his career.

Thirdly, the only reason Folau's contract amount was inflated so high was because the Melbourne Rebels RU team was a serious contender for his signature. Had it not been for the Rebels coming into the Super 14 then I am highly doubtful Folau would get anything over what Karmichael Hunt got.

Fourthly, not all are from the Broncos. Ryan Cross was from the Roosters, Timana Tahu was from Parra, Mark Gasnier was from St George, Sonny Bill Williams was from the Bulldogs, Clinton Schifcofske was from Canberra and the Gold Coast Titans very own Mat Rogers was from Cronulla. Now if the next arguement is going to "yeah, but they all come back" well they haven't, those named I've listed right there shows not all have returned.

I'm sorry mate, as much as you would like this to be a war the AFL is already 10 steps ahead. The NRL need to realise where they are at and focus on the real threat which is Soccer. If the NRL keep making these stupid decisions Soccer will overtake within the next 10 years. Honestly I hope people read this and change their opinion because the current opinion is one that is going to dig the hole bigger for the NRL and rugby league in general.

i agree that 1 mil a season is great but after he flops who is gonna want him?
do you watch rugby league? if qld are serious about winning the series? please we have enough backs to cover 4 qld teams, lote and hodges are 2 players that werent picked for example. and clubs would be stupid to allow folau to come back to rugby league, from rugby union sure, but afl hell no.
the only reason why the afl has heaps of many is and crowds is simply because THERE IS NOTHING TO DO IN MELBOURNE and i should know i go twice a year, on the gold coast there is heaps of things to do same with new zealand and sydney etc.
btw qld does not rely on folau and he is from tonga not from Queensland.
hope that cleares it all up

[Chaos]

I thought the funniest comment from Folau was his decision wasn't based on money...good on him for setting his future finances up but please don't say it wasn't for the money.

I'd still pick him for Origin...lets not make revengeful decisions with his rep career.
Knowing it's going to be his last Origin series will certainly bring out his best.

I just feel sorry for all the AFL players that have been playing the game all their life to make grade and Folau comes in earning the highest amount and doesn't even play the game...how much pressure will the man have to perform!

[Sydney Titans Fanatic]

screw folau if he wants to leave the greatest game on earth let him leave.... Screw him if he wants money....
Afl are not getting any of my support ever.....
Qld is like melbourne but in oppisite,
Melbourne is Afl a good 70% of fans with league 10% and soccer being 10% and 10% union
Qld is rugby league which would be approx 70% worth of fans,10%soccer and 10% gayfl and 10%union

Who cares if they defect they are going to fail like the rest of them and will eventually come back to league, theres plenty of other people who have talent not just these waste of spaces
im just making up statistics

[GCT_89]

I'm sorry DIEHARD but I have to disagree with you.

Fourthly, not all are from the Broncos. Ryan Cross was from the Roosters, Timana Tahu was from Parra, Mark Gasnier was from St George, Sonny Bill Williams was from the Bulldogs, Clinton Schifcofske was from Canberra and the Gold Coast Titans very own Mat Rogers was from Cronulla.

yea but they are all from different clubs....

Sailor & Tuqiri in the early '00s
Hunt & Folau recently....

they were all Broncos... 4 player defects in less than 10 years is a worrying stat for just one club....

[TITAN PETE]

I heard they approached mark minochello cause they heard he droped the ball every 5 meters

Nice to see someone make a real comment about this situation , Coasters reply to this Topic is just like the Topic itself a JOKE.. , there will be 10 Folau's running around high schools today but now they'll all think they will earn a Million Bucks when they chase the Izzy Dream but all will be shattered when they find it's just a GFL attempt to sway fans to their C Grade game :boo: , Rugby League Supporters will always be Rugby League Supporters

[Coaster]

I find it hilarious.

Talk about the wrong bloke for the job. If they defected Hayne, Inglis or Slater i would be concerned, but instead they have given a 21 year old winger that could be replaced by a broom handle 1.3 million a season to attract western sydney people.

Do they realize he is a queenslander that played for the Broncos/Storm? haha
Do they realize the kid is as thick as two bits of wood?haha
Do they realize the kid has barely scored a try from outside the 20 meter line?
Do they realize the kid has only kicked the ball 10 times in 2 years?

How does the rest of the AFL players feel about him being the HIGHEST paid AFL player, and he has only seen the game on TV?

Bahaha

Idiots