Super League club Catalans Dragons have been in talks with Israel Folau, according to multiple reports.
Ther Dragons reportedly reached out to Super League chief executive Robert Elstone to discuss the prospect of signing the exiled star.
According to UK publisherย Total Rugby League, both parties are 'close to agreeing to terms.'
However, Elstone is undecided on whether Folaju should be allowed to play in the competition.
The decision will ultimately come down to the Rugby Football League, who have the power to register or knock back all player registrations.
Catalans are reportedly desperate to sign the 30-year old as soon as possible, with the Super League season kicking off on Thursday.
Currently banned from playing in the NRL, ARLC chairman Peter Vโlandys ruled out Folau's potential return late last year.
โThe game is inclusive. Israelโs comments are not inclusive,โ Vโlandys said late last year.
โWhen I was a kid and kids used to get bashed up because they were different, I used to go and defend them. And a lot of them, itโs because their role models or their peers made them that way.
โI have no tolerance for people that put other peopleโs lives [at risk] or [commit] violence. Itโs a big statement to make. With due respect to Israel, what he says, young kids listen to. He is a role model. They act on it. And when youโre a kid at school and you get bashed up because youโre different, I donโt think thatโs a good thing.โ
“โThe game is inclusive. Israelโs comments are not inclusive,โ Vโlandys said late last year.”
And banning Izzy from the game is being inclusive is it Peter ?
I do not condone what Izzy said but he said it in a respectful way and he said it because it was his opinion based on his religion. For that reason alone, I find this action and the one from Yawnion completely unacceptable. The way to counter Izzy’s bias is through argument and intelligent debate not by banning him. Banning something simply drives it underground where it can fester and resurge in a far less acceptable way.
That said, I do hope that Superleague let Catalans recruit him. Boy would that set the game up over there for a great season. Izzy and Sonny would light up the comp and become a massive draw card. Superleague now has a better opportunity for growth than at anytime in the last 100 years. I hope they grab it with both hands.
Clubs wanting to join the English Superleague system now include, Toulouse, New York, Ottawa, and Red Star Belgrade. Have we managed to put a team in Perth yet ?
This cancel culture is stupid.
Look I understand that his tweets were wrong but gee people these days are so over emotional, itโs like โoh no he hurt my feelings that tweet was gayphobicโ….BUT we let players like Lodge play for the Broncos or Packer play when these guys did and shouldโve spent time in jail for assault.
Thereโs players who beat their wives players who go on drunken rampages, like the two Storm players in Bali and now C Scott.
My point in you let people back in the game who were in jail for some hideous crimes against woman too but a tweet is a no no.
The hypocrisy with all these SJW PC etc etc etc make me sick.
The NRL is a bigoted Christaphobe organization.
The NRL have been hijacked by the looney left.