[urlhttp://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/league-news/western-sydneys-42m-snares-folau-for-afl-20100531-wrim.html[/url

This quote:

=#0000FF"And the man who conducted the 21-year-old's secret AFL trial is sure Folau will prove a huge success in his new code and will acquire the kicking skills needed"

..........means he'll be back at the NRL in 12 month's time like the rest of the "renegades".

www.nzherald.co.nz/league/news/a ... 844&pnum=0 [i'The deal is worth a reported A$3 million.'[/i [iBut former Queensland State of Origin great Gorden Tallis said he should be barred from selection. "If he's going to go you just put Brent Tate in or you put in a young winger or a young centre," Tallis told Fox Sports. "If he does (sign to play AFL) you don't let him play in our showpiece, something that he loves." Tallis said Folau's high price signing would create jealousy within the team and the franchise would struggle to attract crowds once the novelty wore off, particularly if they started losing matches. "They are actually ruining their own game - it is going to be a novelty act," he said.[/i www.radiosport.co.nz/SportsNews/ ... ?id=176454 Not everyone in the AFL is happy about the signing, [i'Brisbane Lions coach Michael Voss has slammed the AFL's pursuit of Folau. Voss says he feels a bit cheated by the situation...'[/i

www.nzherald.co.nz/league/news/a ... 844&pnum=0 [i'The deal is worth a reported A$3 million.'[/i [iBut former Queensland State of Origin great Gorden Tallis said he should be barred from selection. "If he's going to go you just put Brent Tate in or you put in a young winger or a young centre," Tallis told Fox Sports. "If he does (sign to play AFL) you don't let him play in our showpiece, something that he loves." Tallis said Folau's high price signing would create jealousy within the team and the franchise would struggle to attract crowds once the novelty wore off, particularly if they started losing matches. "They are actually ruining their own game - it is going to be a novelty act," he said.[/i www.radiosport.co.nz/SportsNews/ ... ?id=176454 Not everyone in the AFL is happy about the signing, [i'Brisbane Lions coach Michael Voss has slammed the AFL's pursuit of Folau. Voss says he feels a bit cheated by the situation...'[/i

Require the kicking skills needed? REQUIRE THE KICKING SKILLS NEEDED?? I laugh in the face of the AFL, mainly because i have actualy never seen Falou kick a ball before and think it's ridiculous that the AFL would sign someone who they have to teach the fundamentals of the game to while paying them so much money.

The worrying thing is that they can afford to do so.

Definitely has to be dropped from Origin IMO. The players need to be sent a message that defecting is not on. Personally, I agree with the idea of a life ban from rep teams for those who leave the code. That way if Folau, Hunt and co come back they can suffer from not being as high profile as when they leave. It's not that big a punishment, but some kind of message that RL can't be treated as 3rd choice and be expected to welcome people back with open arms needs to get out. I have no problem with them coming back and playing for clubs by the way.

I think that AFL will rue the signings of Hunt and Folau. It will definitely create animosity from other players, and whilst the signing of Hunt makes some sense in Queensland, I really don't understand the idea that Folau will do much for AFL in Sydney.

If he goes, I hope he makes a complete fool of himself. Same for Hunt. There's also this rubbish about him being such a 'nice kid'. Who cares - he's damaging the sport that made him who he is. The only reason for this move is money, and its not as though he's on peanuts at the Broncos.

Will Hunt's prolonged absence from the Australian sporting scene have affected his profile over there? Will there be as much of a buzz after his time in union as opposed to if he'd made the switch straight away?

the two highest AFL players are from RL.

better he went to AFL than the S15.

good luck in getting western sydney people watching AFL because of a queensland origin player

Melbourne relocated him, looked after him and gave him the top class training to make him the player he is.

He then leaves for a massive contract to be 'closer to his family.'

He talked about his religion and taking time out of the game, I don't know what they do but he goes on retreat for 2 years, probably at his peak at a great loss of money.

He a ing money grabbing liar.

If Queensland had anything about them he'd be dropped.

I suspect Queensland will drop Folau. The weak reason for it is that they have other options for the wing - notably another returning defector in Tuqiri. That will create big headlines anyway. I wouldn't have Tuqiri back either for Origin but right now anything that deflects the headlines is good.

Folau seems to have been treated with kid gloves with all this 'nice lad' guff about him. As an RL fan I don't care - he's doing damage to the sport I follow and I think he's a tw*t. He could easily have announced this decision weeks ago and not been picked for Origin 1 - his timing was all about making sure he got in the Queensland side. The cynic in me says that's all about maximising the publicity value of his defection to AFL.

As for Hunt, he's been in the papers every now and then in Queensland at least - he's got a very astute manager IMO who has made sure to get a story about him in the papers every couple of weeks. Although frankly he's not the superstar he seems to think he was in league. Your point about his star fading a bit in his absence is probably right. The Broncos have moved on, Queensland have moved on, and frankly nobody much cared about his exploits in France.

If I were a betting man, I suspect Hunt will end up in Union here in a year or so after failing at AFL. If Folau fails he's more likely to come back to RL than Hunt.

mate thats a great post.

love it

Fire up, BrisbaneRhino.

Personally, i'm astonished at the amount they're paying for him. I mean, i'm not even confident that he could bounce the ball every 10 metres without it dribbling away from him on the odd occasion. It'll be interesting to see how they try to convince Sydney that a former Melbourne, and current Brisbane and Queensland player, is Western Sydney through and through. Kinda brings a smile to your face.

So, does that make Folau the highest paid player across the 3 codes? What is Giteau on?

hunt too.

imagine if theyd gotten hayne, that mightve made an impact.

Hayne, a bonafide product of Western Sydney, with superstar status in the area, and has the natural talent and skills to perhaps actually do well in Aussie Rules.

LOL@AFL

Quote ="CGD" So, does that make Folau the highest paid player across the 3 codes? What is Giteau on?'" Chris Judd remains the highest paid AFL player. I'd rather he's gone to AFL than the Rebels. They're paying for the media, nothing else. For the price of 90secs of TV adverts the AFL will get a mountain of prime time media coverage for the new team. It's about business. As for Israel, can't blame him, if my employers could only pay me 1/2 of what a rival was offering I'd be gone as well. The good thing for us is it may push the AFL players to demand more and cause some clubs financial strife. www.adelaidenow.com.au/sport/afl ... 5859052516

Quote ="CGD" So, does that make Folau the highest paid player across the 3 codes? What is Giteau on?'" Chris Judd remains the highest paid AFL player. I'd rather he's gone to AFL than the Rebels. They're paying for the media, nothing else. For the price of 90secs of TV adverts the AFL will get a mountain of prime time media coverage for the new team. It's about business. As for Israel, can't blame him, if my employers could only pay me 1/2 of what a rival was offering I'd be gone as well. The good thing for us is it may push the AFL players to demand more and cause some clubs financial strife. www.adelaidenow.com.au/sport/afl ... 5859052516

They're saying 6 mill over 4 years, how desperate can you get.

others are saying $3mill over 3 years. Got to love the media!

whatever amount it is, it's rediculous.

Broncos ceo said he talked to FOF agent and it was close to 6 mill.

7 news mentioned 6 mill over 4 years and during his interveiw they said he had signed for 4 years, so it looks to me like he'll be the highest paid player in AFL before he's had the chance to fumble the ball of get a point for missing, he certainly didn't miss in the contract though.

One thing I did notice, he said it was for a challenge, why not come out and say, the money was too good to knock back, he'd look a lot better in everyons eyes instead of being a liar again.

this episode really shows what a small time sport league is.... all other sports can walk in and take any players they want. and things will only get worse as league stagnates while its rivals grow even wealthier.

also the pathetic attitude of league supporters against players who leave for greener pastures is appalling. no wonder the sport finds it hard to attract new fans.

i say good luck to the fellas if someone is willing to throw $millions at them.

until they come back then all is forgiven and they are the best thing since sliced bread. The fauning over Sailor since his return from the double disgrace of RU AND coke snorting is sickening!

I'd take the money, but I'd be truthful and tell everyone why I was leaving, not lie and say for a challenge.

Most RL fans feels the same way, the money was too good to knock back, yet this same guy earlier in the year said he hopes AFL takes over in west Sydney, he made his mind up back then where he was going, he is a liar.

he did say yesterday it was also about the money

wow, thats some serious coin

$1 million more a season than hed earn in RL.

cant blame the kid

question for the non RL fans :

why does afl need to pay so much money to someone thats never played the sport if its a national competition?

You people do make me laugh at times.

The bottom line is this.

A bloke has been offered a new job with a new company for a massive pay rise.


Reading some of your posts I doubt whether any of you actually have jobs of your own but if you did and someone offered you a similar deal you would all take it.

So stop bagging Folau out as the new Judas Iscariot, build a bridge and get over it. Reading some of your comments it seems you think Izzy is the reincarnation of Pol Pot. Well you would.... if you had actually ever heard of Pol Pot.

If you don't like AFL... don't watch it. And stop bagging a bloke out for wanting to earn a few bucks whilst it's on offer.


Simple.

Wasn't he the son of p1ss pot?

The sad thing is there are probably a lot of people reading this thread who think exactly that.


It's amusing the way these self appointed guardians of the NRL flame all crawl out from under their stones and bag people like Karmichael Hunt, Israel Folau and Sonny Bill for doing what any normal person would do.

Playing professional sport is a job. Nothing more. Nothing less. The careers of professional sports stars can be very short if they cop a bad injury. The idea is to make big bucks whilst you can.

I've always been a big fan of Folau and I hope it works out for him.

If it doesn't... he will come back to NRL.