After a ridiculous press conference with Clive Palmer in which everyone was threatened with legal actions, and then having to finally negotiate with the Catalan Dragons for a release from his current contract, Israel Folau has chosen not to play in the Queensland Rugby League lower grades and instead sign for Japanese Rugby Union club NTT Communications Shining Arcs.
Aside from the fact that NTT Communications Shining Arcs is a name that just rolls off the tongue, Folau has proven once again to be a player that for some reason just loves to be surrounded by drama.
His prospects of being allowed to return to the NRL were extremely slim, and with time running out on his ability to make a quid out of the athletic ability he has left, he couldn’t really hang around in Queensland hoping that the NRL would change its mind.
By going to Japan Folau can play against semi professional level talent, have no off field pressure and earn good money doing so.
You would think this would end any chance that Israel Folau would ever play Rugby League again. There might be the slim possibility that he gets selected in a Rugby League international squad here or there but even then I think you will find that won’t end up happening.
The NRL will be happy that the slight distraction of Folau is all but over. His last press conference was shambolic and really showed the whole situation to be a bit of a mess.
