Israel Folau’s door to the NRL may not be completely closed, with a return via the Queensland Cup reportedly being floated.
Queensland Rugby League chair Bruce Hatcher has expressed an openness to registering a contract for the dual international after an informal approach from an NRL club official, according to News Corp Australia.
Folau has re-signed with French Super League side Catalans Dragons but was left out of Steve McNamara’s 29-man squad for the 2021 season. Any hope of an unlikely NRL return appeared dashed last month when St George Illawarra abandoned their intentions to sign him following intense backlash from fans.
However, the 31-year-old is currently in Brisbane tending to a family matter and has been linked to former club the Broncos. Only last week, Brisbane captain Alex Glenn said he “would love” to see Folau return to the club for whom he played two seasons in 2009-10.
Hatcher said any QRL contract would have to specify “what he can and can’t do” but, should his board see no issue, he expected there to “be no legal impediment to the guy playing again”.
“I wouldn’t think there is anything we could do to stop him playing in our competition,” Hatcher said. “There will be some adverse publicity. I don’t have any doubt about that, but I have canvassed a fair few opinions and I haven’t found anyone who thinks it is a bad thing.”
This latest development suggests the regional competition could yet become a viable path back to first grade for a big talent all but blacklisted in Australia since the social media posts that got the former Wallaby sacked by Rugby Australia.
Should this route become reality the Catalans, who are due to begin their season on 27 March, said last week they will demand compensation. New centre signing Dean Whare has been allocated Folau’s No 4 shirt.
“It’s sad to say but this is the business we are in,” said football manager Alex Chan. “We have to treat it as a business as much as we are a family club. We’ve been burnt often in the past. We’ve put our heart on our sleeve and it’s come back and bit us.
“We’re at a point now where we have to draw a line in the sand where we’re not going to be taken for granted.”
Chan said the Catalans have not gone as far as naming a price for the strong-running centre.
“That’s a conversation we’d have to have at board level with the president and the board,” he said. “Business is business and we have to ensure the safety of our business by putting things in place to make sure both parties are happy.”
