Folau
Is he perfectly entitled to hold his beliefs and espouse them? Yes, just as others are to reject them and protest about them
Is he a good player? Well yes, historically
Would he be a good signing for a club, playing wise? Yes, probably
Would he be odds on to post his views again on social media or in some other format? Again, very probably, yes
Would that be good for his club, given the general reaction to his views? On balance, no
The comments by many that he’s entitled to play in the NRL, because he wants to, are interesting; those types of comments imply that just because he wants to play that he must be allowed to play. Well last time I checked, a club has to sign you, but if you’re a known landmine, just waiting to be set off, why would any club want that?
So, will any club sign him, knowing what the damage could be to the club, brand, etc? Possibly, there’s lots of desperation in some clubs to win at any price, especially if they haven’t been winning in a while.
Will Manly have anything to do with him? If they do, we will be pilloried, so nothing unusual there, but is the ownership that culturally tone deaf; I would hope not.
If he can get a run, so be it, but I’ll predict that when he’s either nearing the end of his contract or is out of First Grade, he’ll start pushing his religious views again and probably break his contractual obligations, as he’s going to have to drum up interest and money for his church and feed his hangers-on, and what better way than to hit social media and that will cause a lot of bad news for the club that’s given him a lifeline to continue playing and earning, which he won’t give a dam about as he’s proven in the past.
Folau, free to try to return to the NRL but any club that signs him is showing desperation and a disregard for their image in the long term. Remember, as they say, “it’s a business”.
