Israel Folau’s wife Maria has claimed her husband was cleared to return to the NRL after being approached by Wests Tigers coach Benji Marshall, only for club legend Wayne Pearce to torpedo the deal before it could be signed.
The former Storm, Broncos and Wallabies star’s scuppered return to rugby league made headlines earlier this month when it was revealed he’d been blocked from joining the joint-venture club.
Folau had also been knocked back for re-entry to the NRL in 2021 due to his infamous homophobia scandal.
The 37-year-old was sacked by Rugby Australia after an independent tribunal found him guilty of a high-level breach of the players’ code of conduct for publishing an Instagram post saying ‘hell awaits’ homosexual people.
Now Maria Folau has opened a new chapter in her man’s quest to return to the game with a stunning statement on Instagram.
‘Benji contacted Izz saying that he wanted Izzy to be a part of the Wests Tigers for the remainder of the season,’ she said.
Maria Folau (pictured with husband Israel) has made startling claims about the former Wallabies star’s attempt to return to the NRL
According to Mrs Folau, Wests Tigers coach Benji Marshall (pictured) approached her husband to sign for the club
The former netball star told her Instagram followers that Marshall had cleared Israel’s return with NRL supremo Peter V’landys
She claimed Marshall said he had cleared the matter with NRL supremo Peter V’landys and the Tigers board, and it was ‘all good for Izzy to come and play’.
According to Mrs Folau, Marshall then said he had ‘hit a roadblock’ because Tigers icon Pearce – who sits on the Australian Rugby League Commission – had blocked the plan.
‘His reasoning behind not wanting Izzy to play is because of inclusiveness, whatever that means, and then also that it would be a bad look to have Izzy back in the game,’ she said.
‘We were told by Benji that he was still keen to have Izzy back on board and that he was going to try and get a contract lodged.
‘We’ve just got back from Tonga and have been told that the Tigers are no longer going to lodge a contract because of the media pressure … and also pressure from elsewhere.’
Israel lashed out at the league in a comment left on the post.
‘The double standard from the @nrl is crazy,’ he wrote.
‘The game talks about inclusion, yet my Christian beliefs were said to be a problem and didn’t align with their values.
According to Maria Folau, the only reason Israel hasn’t signed for Wests is opposition from Tigers icon and Australian Rugby League Commission member Wayne Pearce (pictured)
Folau is pictured playing rugby union in Japan. He has just finished his stint in the country
‘At the same time, players who’ve committed actual offences have been welcomed back.
‘Make it make sense.’
Folau found an ally in former Wallabies star Quade Cooper, who also chimed in to the comments section.
‘The irony of exclusivity… excluding someone in the name of inclusion,’ he wrote.
‘You can’t claim to champion diversity while deciding who gets to participate.’
Former Souths, Wests and Gold Coast forward Eddy Pettybourne also backed Folau, writing, ‘So good sis!’ and quoting a Bible verse.
