A bit too cute on the part of the AFL when it comes to Folau.
''Israel's Broncos contract officially finishes on October 31 and he'll be training at Blacktown on November 15,'' said David Matthews, AFL's Sydney-based general manager of national and international development in this story.
The same story suggests "Among Folau's tasks, the 21-year-old may end up in Tonga, where the King has been spruiking to the AFL the merits of setting up an Australian football academy."
Where did Folau's sudden interest in Tonga come from?
I can't recall in his journey from Campelltown to Queensland Maroon and the Kangaroos any talk of helping out the Tongan rugby league game or their national team.
A bit of a storm brewing because Folau suddenly decided (after agreeing to join AFL) that he wanted to play for the Tongan rugby league team in their Parramatta match on October 24th, and that he should be entitled to as his rugby league contract doesn't end until October 31. But that was ruled out because he had played for the Kangaroos within the past 2 years.
Then Folau decided he wanted to be a water carrier in the Tonga game, and should be allowed to as he is still a NRL player until October 31. Of course you don't need to have a NRL player contract to run the water on and off the field. But all of that was barred because he failed to have the necessary certificate and training to act in that role.
So now we're at the stage where Folau can begin to be seen as someone being denied at every turn to do his best for Tongans by petty rugby league administration acting out of spite because he has agreed to join the AFL.
How soon we seem to forget that Folau spruiked the AFL cause in Sydney's west at his mid season media conference, despite the existence of that same NRL contract he now holds so dear.
Here's a question. Why didn't Folau seek a release from his Broncos contract when their season ended back in early September? Why keep the contract alive? Wouldn't he want to get on with his AFL training and career?
I seem to recall Karmichael Hunt flying out to France in mid October 2009, well before his Broncos contract presumably ended on October 31st of that year.
''Israel's Broncos contract officially finishes on October 31 and he'll be training at Blacktown on November 15,'' said David Matthews, AFL's Sydney-based general manager of national and international development in this story.
The same story suggests "Among Folau's tasks, the 21-year-old may end up in Tonga, where the King has been spruiking to the AFL the merits of setting up an Australian football academy."
Where did Folau's sudden interest in Tonga come from?
I can't recall in his journey from Campelltown to Queensland Maroon and the Kangaroos any talk of helping out the Tongan rugby league game or their national team.
A bit of a storm brewing because Folau suddenly decided (after agreeing to join AFL) that he wanted to play for the Tongan rugby league team in their Parramatta match on October 24th, and that he should be entitled to as his rugby league contract doesn't end until October 31. But that was ruled out because he had played for the Kangaroos within the past 2 years.
Then Folau decided he wanted to be a water carrier in the Tonga game, and should be allowed to as he is still a NRL player until October 31. Of course you don't need to have a NRL player contract to run the water on and off the field. But all of that was barred because he failed to have the necessary certificate and training to act in that role.
So now we're at the stage where Folau can begin to be seen as someone being denied at every turn to do his best for Tongans by petty rugby league administration acting out of spite because he has agreed to join the AFL.
How soon we seem to forget that Folau spruiked the AFL cause in Sydney's west at his mid season media conference, despite the existence of that same NRL contract he now holds so dear.
Here's a question. Why didn't Folau seek a release from his Broncos contract when their season ended back in early September? Why keep the contract alive? Wouldn't he want to get on with his AFL training and career?
I seem to recall Karmichael Hunt flying out to France in mid October 2009, well before his Broncos contract presumably ended on October 31st of that year.
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