The Israel Folau saga

[Johnny come lately]

This was the only result that:

1. Folau deserved, socially and from a business perspective.
2. Leaves RA and the Wallabies with any credibility.
3. Gives the Wallabies any hope of turning up to the RWC.

As a 33 year rugby supporter, I fully support RA in this action.

 

[Adam84]

Chose his fate and forced their hand

 

[Braveheart81]

Where to now?

My expectation would be that Folau's camp will be shocked with this response. I'd guess they thought they had longer to formulate a response to RA before taking their calls.

I think that if RA and Folau had already spoken that the press release now would be regarding a disciplinary hearing being set up, not a termination.

Whether there is still one is unknown. I would be surprised if his contract doesn't give him a right to have one. He will take advice from lawyers as to whether he should have one or if they've got a stronger case fighting the fact that he was terminated without a hearing.

I think you can absolutely guarantee he'll be suing Rugby Australia.

 

[Lorenzo]

Thank god. Not doing this would have showed that individual players are bigger than the game and frankly, he's not nearly good enough to even warrant considering that.

Its not like the run of trophies we've had since he came aboard is suddenly at risk

 

[duckbill]

Good bye and good riddance

It was all his own doing, whether he has another agenda or not is irrelevant - well done to RA for standing up for their credo and walking the walk.

 

[Adam84]

Folau to Cowboys fullback for rest of 2019

 

[Lorenzo]

Where to now?

My expectation would be that Folau's camp will be shocked with this response. I'd guess they thought they had longer to formulate a response to RA before taking their calls.

I think that if RA and Folau had already spoken that the press release now would be regarding a disciplinary hearing being set up, not a termination.

Whether there is still one is unknown. I would be surprised if his contract doesn't give him a right to have one. He will take advice from lawyers as to whether he should have one or if they've got a stronger case fighting the fact that he was terminated without a hearing.

I think you can absolutely guarantee he'll be suing Rugby Australia.

You ought not forget that his current deal was drafted under the cloud of the 2018 gays-to-hell fiasco. It's entirely possible that it was done so with non-compliance with the social media policy (or actual terms in the contract) being stipulated as a fundamental breach.

 

[Dctarget]

You ought not forget that his current deal was drafted under the cloud of the 2018 gays-to-hell fiasco. It's entirely possible that it was done so with non-compliance with the social media policy (or actual terms in the contract) being stipulated as a fundamental breach.

One would hope so.

I'd love to have some inside word from the players around him. Was this a long time coming? Are they completely blindsided?

 

[I like to watch]

Where to now?

My expectation would be that Folau's camp will be shocked with this response. I'd guess they thought they had longer to formulate a response to RA before taking their calls.

I think that if RA and Folau had already spoken that the press release now would be regarding a disciplinary hearing being set up, not a termination.

Whether there is still one is unknown. I would be surprised if his contract doesn't give him a right to have one. He will take advice from lawyers as to whether he should have one or if they've got a stronger case fighting the fact that he was terminated without a hearing.

I think you can absolutely guarantee he'll be suing Rugby Australia.

Not sacked yet.

They’ve announced
"In the absence of compelling mitigating factors, it is our intention to terminate his contract."

 

[mst]

Where to now?

My expectation would be that Folau's camp will be shocked with this response. I'd guess they thought they had longer to formulate a response to RA before taking their calls.

I think that if RA and Folau had already spoken that the press release now would be regarding a disciplinary hearing being set up, not a termination.

Whether there is still one is unknown. I would be surprised if his contract doesn't give him a right to have one. He will take advice from lawyers as to whether he should have one or if they've got a stronger case fighting the fact that he was terminated without a hearing.

I think you can absolutely guarantee he'll be suing Rugby Australia.

That is, unless RA was prudent enough to put the relevant clauses in his new contract. I wonder if RA could potentially contemplate suing him should he have grossly breach his contract t&c's, assurances (noting potential loss of RA income should sponsorships be damaged /lost) and the code of conduct etc?

 

[Purce]

The sport is bigger than IF. Good on RA. His posts are not aligned with his employers and that of the sport as a whole. Not to mention the terrible impact that can have on a community and vulnerable persons who look up to him. I'm proud of our sport as a whole for pushing an inclusive culture over many years. He clearly doesn't hold the same thoughts.

RA have made their expectations on him clear. He has obviously broken the conditions of his contract multiple times. Very fucking stupid from him.

On the whole Qantas thing... they have for quite sometime been champions of equal rights. I also think a large part of this is due to showing respect to their workforce of which many are members of the groups IF has highlighted repeatedly in his posts. I suspect there would have been a huge push from their workforce to address the issue.

 

[Strewthcobber]

One would hope so.

I'd love to have some inside word from the players around him. Was this a long time coming? Are they completely blindsided?

Go read the rest of his Instagram. He's been a hair away from posting something like this for months.

 

[Braveheart81]

Thank god. Not doing this would have showed that individual players are bigger than the game and frankly, he's not nearly good enough to even warrant considering that.

Its not like the run of trophies we've had since he came aboard is suddenly at risk

We've got to replace about 20% of the tries we score though which is no small feat. For his faults, his try scoring record is pretty phenomenal. One of the best strike rates ever for the Wallabies and way above anyone else we have.

You ought not forget that his current deal was drafted under the cloud of the 2018 gays-to-hell fiasco. It's entirely possible that it was done so with non-compliance with the social media policy (or actual terms in the contract) being stipulated as a fundamental breach.

I don't doubt that. I also would be surprised if his contract removed access to the same disciplinary process that exists for all the Wallabies.

Note the press release doesn't say the contract has been terminated. RA would know that doing that straight off the bat would paint them into a problematic position legally.

 

[Braveheart81]

That is, unless RA was prudent enough to put the relevant clauses in his new contract. I wonder if RA could potentially contemplate suing him should he have grossly breach his contract t&c's, assurances (noting potential loss of RA income should sponsorships be damaged /lost) and the code of conduct etc?

His new contract clearly had clauses regarding social media use. I highly doubt that it would have removed his rights to the same formal disciplinary process that exists for the rest of the players.

This contract wasn't signed by a desperate Folau who had to take whatever was on the table no matter how one-sided it was.

 

[Derpus]

Well that was the right thing to do.

But fuck Israel Folau tho. Best player right before a RWC throwing out this garbage? So selfish.

Oh well. Maybe well have a fullback that can kick now.

 

[The torpedo]

Something from Brissie Times/Fairfax on other players thoughts:

However, RA is aware that a number of high-profile players, including Wallabies representatives, liked the post Folau put up just after 6pm on Wednesday.
As of midday on Thursday, Kerevi and Ala'alatoa had liked the photo, while Henry Speight is understood to have unliked the post, as had several other rugby players.
There is no suggestion Kerevi and Ala'alatoa are condoning the contents of the message, which has received more than 12,000 likes and 10,000 comments.

 

[Lorenzo]

I think that it's clear that the mitigating circumstances would need to be actually mitigating, like his Instagram was hacked, and not merely smells-a-bit-like-mitigating, which would be "Jesus is important to me"

They feel comfortable publicly stating he is likely to be terminated precisely because at this stage, he is quite likely to be terminated.

Clearly, he would very likely have reached out to them if there was an explanation that could save him.

 

[Derpus]

Liking something is different to creating the material, we all know many religious people feel this way.

 

[Lorenzo]

Liking doesn't show great judgment but not any worse than putting yourself in position to be in multiple videos where white powder is being inhaled from a plate. We already know many.of these guys lack even mediocre judgment.

 

[Johnny come lately]

Exactly Lorenzo. Hopefully this debacle is the start of a new era of player off field discipline for Australian sport.