‘He’d be a great pick-up’: Maloney praises Catalans teammate Folau
James Maloney said Israel Folau would be a good-value buy for any NRL club and despite spending a decade out of the competition would still “out-jump any rival” in the game.
Maloney played with Folau with French club Catalans last season in the Super League and received a WhatsApp message from the controversial centre about how he would not return because his mother-in-law had fallen ill.
At least one high-profile Catalans Australian player knows Israel Folau would add plenty to the NRL again.Credit:Getty Images
While Folau only scored five tries in 15 games for Catalans, Maloney declared: “You can tell he still oozes class with everything he does.
“He took a bit of time getting used to rugby league again, but he was good for us, he scored some outstanding tries and came up with some really big plays.
“He’s unstoppable in the air. The only problem is when he gets to the ball, everyone tries to escort him. You have to try and get the ball when opposition teams are not expecting it.
James Maloney (far right) and Israel Folau combining for Catalans against LeedsCredit:Getty
“If you’re one-on-one in the air, nobody in the game here or back home would out-jump him.
“All the backlash there has been about him [possibly returning] was always going to be an obstacle for him.
“But for a player of his quality, you’d probably get him for a lot less, and he’d be a great pick-up for any NRL club.
“I think he would be good for the game, and you want the best players playing in the competition. He’d only make the NRL better.
“All the boys got along with him here, and when he told us why he wasn’t coming back we all understood.”
Top judge … James Maloney.Credit:Corbis Sport
Maloney said when Folau first signed it was not a distraction because most of the protests about the club welcoming him in after his controversial social media posts came mainly from the Australian and English press. He quipped he could never understand the local bulletins and papers “because it’s all in French”. Maloney said the anti-Folau sentiment quickly passed, helped by the fact he played in front of small or no crowds.
“He’s played at the top level in our game and the top level in rugby, and you don’t do that by accident,” Maloney said.
Premiership-winning St Helens coach Kristian Woolf, who also oversees the Tongan team, was another respected judge who backed Folau to make the most of a potential NRL second coming.
“His ability in the air is still there – he’s a real weapon and strike for your kickers,” Woolf said.
Out of my way … Israel Folau.Credit:Getty
“He was also good at beating the man one-on-one and putting the winger away with his skill set. The more he plays the better he’ll get.
“I thought he made some really good strides last year.
“He’s a guy I’ve had little bits to do with over the years because of my affiliation with Tonga.
“When we first came back from [COVID] lockdown, we did a good job on him, but he got Mark Percival, who is a very good defensive centre, and he got in and away on him and beat him one on one, which was a show of class.”
Catalans owner Bernard Guasch said this week if Folau did find an NRL club, the French club would want proper compensation given the player still had a year to run on his current deal.
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