Israel Folau teams with Clive Palmer in latest NRL return bid

Controversial cross-code footballer Israel Folau is taking a fresh route back into Australian rugby league circles, reportedly joining with billionaire mining magnate Clive Palmer for a bid.

Folau has reportedly lodged an application with Queensland Rugby League to register in the local Gold Coast rugby league competition.

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It comes after a media alert was sent out for an “announcement about Israel’s football future” featuring both Folau and Palmer at 9am on Friday.

well this oughta be good – Clive Palmer and Israel Folau is flagging an "announcement about Israel’s football future" tomorrow

(via @Scotty_McDonald) pic.twitter.com/qzSFdQJARp

But The Courier Mail revealed more about the press conference with the former politician as Palmer is a patron of the Southport Tigers and former winger for the club in the 1970s.

The report also revealed that Palmer took out an ad on the front page of the paper saying “Let Israel Folau play football”.

Clive Palmer founded the United Australia Party.Source:News Regional Media

The NRL said last month that the decision is up to the QRL to decide if they want to let him play.

“That’s not a matter for me to comment on, the QRL has an autonomous board and their own processes for registration,” NRL CEO Andrew Abdo said at the time. “I’m not going to comment on their decision on whether or not a club puts forward a registration for him to play.”

QRL CEO Bruce Hatcher fumed at the time after the hospital pass.

“Israel Folau isn’t looking for pocket money to play Intrust Super Cup,” he said at the time. “If he were to be allowed back into playing the elite level of the game then that to me is an NRL issue. We look after Origin, not NRL club decisions.”

Folau has become a controversial figure after the former Wallabies star posted a homophobic message on his Instagram account that said “hell awaits” “drunks, homosexuals, adulterers, liars, fornicators, thieves, atheists and idolators” — adding they should “repent”.

It wasn’t the first anti-gay post he had done either with another in April 2018, leading to Rugby Australia to tear up his contract.

While doors from sporting codes in Australia were slammed shut, Folau joined Super League club Catalans Dragons but appeared to walk out on the club during the off-season hoping to reignite an NRL career.

Folau used to play for the Broncos, after starting his career with the Storm.Source:Getty Images

But despite attracting interest from the St George Illawarra Dragons, the club withdrew its pursuit amid a harsh backlash from NRL fans and club sponsors.

Folau, who played 91 games in the NRL with the Broncos and Storm with 73 tries as well as 8 Tests for Australia and five Origin matches for Queensland, left the sport in 2010 after joining the AFL’s GWS Giants in the club’s inaugural season.

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