What a waste of rugby talent

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-australia-50455162

No way back for Folau now.

Yup

Thought this was going to be another cheap shot at Scotland, but yes this does show that ARU made the correct decision. Hes making EFPS look rationale and considered.

Wonder how the freedom of speech fighters are handling this one? Alan Jones has now told him to ‘button it’. Why? When he was such a staunch advocate for his freedom to speak his mind. Now it’s too close to home he doesn’t like the idea? Hypocrisy beautifully illustrated there. ...’button it’! good one Jones.

I don't agree with his comments or previous ones, but I would defend his right to be able to voice them. I wouldn't put myself in the wooly liberal camp, but the alternative seems to be a Stalinist system where you can only say what someone at the top says you can. “If freedom of speech is taken away, then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter.”

He can say what he wants, but must accept the repercussions

Old Man wrote:He can say what he wants, but must accept the repercussions

A lesson he does not seem to have learned yet unfortunately!

Maybe so, nipnip, but you might perhaps consider how helpful he’s being towards the cause by standing on a soap box while people are dying, while people are risking their lives to save others and their properties, telling everyone that God is bringing fire, death and destruction to random Australians because ‘some’ are either gay or having abortions.

Not very helpful is it? Probably better to just shut up and grab a hose perhaps, or perhaps leave it to those that do know about how fires really work.

I thought there was quite an overreaction to him saying that certain groups will go to the hellfire, or whatever it was - I wouldn't defend or criticise him over it.

His comments here are over the top though. Think of the devastation to the land and peoples homes Izzy, or at least think of the firefighters putting their lives on the line before coming out with some dark age ideology. What a dummy he turned out to be.

Terrible comments, definitely a waste of talent though, the difference between Australia being a good side and potentially being very good.

Ah, but he is saying this out of love!

For me, if his god is willing to destroy innocents because of "sins" committed by others, well that makes his god no better than the miscellany of dictators we have seen down the millennia, nor him and his congregation any better than the blind followers of those dictators.

If his rugby career really is over he'd have no problem getting a place as a DUP MP in Norn Iron !

Being a Christian also means you are tolerant and non judge mental. Something Folau doesn’t get.

Being a Christian may supposed to mean you sre tolerant and non judgemental

History tells us however that is not always the case!

Unfortunately yes. I suppose you get the extremists and fanatics in every walk of life, and it is littered throughout our history.

Is it too obvious to simply think that he's, errr...overcompensating a bit too much. That there's something he's running away from.

It's a big old cliche but seems almost obvious. To be this self destructive in your late 20s despite not being disruptive or destructive in any noticeable way seems...well, it seems like there's something really driving him to try and harmonise what he's feeling inside, and it seems to be by projecting blame outwards on to certain targets.

If we were to put together a Wasted-Talent 15, Folau would certainly be at full back. What a disgrace of a human being.

That might be a plan

15. Folau

12. Henson

who's next?

Andy Powell?

miaow wrote:That might be a plan

15. Folau

12. Henson

who's next?

I like this. 

Maybe Cipriani at 10, given all of his wasted years. JOC?

BigGee wrote:Andy Powell?

I'd say there's a difference between hype and talent, tbh. Powell had a great first start but that's like when you start anything, you're running on novelty and adrenaline. Powell had a pretty poor rugby brain (steady...) so I wouldn't consider his career a massive underachievement.

JOC, Cipriani, Beale...Zac Guildford? Cory Jane?

Tends to be the hotshot players who sort of make the grade at test level but don't stick around too long due to being immature and not really ready to cope with the demands of adult life.

On the flipside, I'd nominate someone like Ian Evans. A really promising career ravaged by injury.

Guildford is a good shout. And also maybe Milner-Skudder who has been ravaged by injury. Christian Wade surely has to be up there for throwing it all in for a shot at the NFL. 

Quite hard to find forwards who make the cut, though you could make the argument for Michael Lipman who was banned for drug use during the best years of his career.

Good point. Who was the Irish player banned for doing a Cantona? Worth a shout for the mere scandal of it all.

Forwards are harder. There's also going to be loads of players who had no sort of career despite the promise, who don't spring to mind as readily as the more controversial fgures who still managed a decent stint - Cipriani hasn't done too badly, all things considered, for instance.

Probably quite a few Islanders taken to France and then just abandoned when they don't make the grade. Very all or nothing. But then that's not really them wasting their talent, that's more external influences - so maybe it's wrong to include injured players (and ofc some life-changing injuries, like Owen Williams) and just focus on the f ups.

That massive Fijian winger of a few years, who kept going AWOL whilst playing in France for Agen.

His was actually a sad story as he was in no way ready for professional rugby and ended up blowing all his money as well. There was a bit of fund raising for him recently and he has now set up a taxi business in Fiji

He was the Jonah Lomu of his day when he was fit and firing, but sadly that was not very often.

Rupeni Caucau?

Rupeni's a good one too actually. One of the most talented players i've seen on the field, but just a relative lack of accomplishment son his CV. 

For the same reason as Lipman we could include Matt Stevens at LH? How about Ben Tameifuna at tighthead? Blessed with great skills (including goalkicking) but just can't find his way to the salad bar. 

1. Matt Stevens?
2.
3. Ben Tameifuna?
4.
5.
6.
7. Michael Lipman 
8.
9.
10.
11. Rupeni Caucau
12. Gavin Henson
13. James O'Connor
14. Zac Guildford 
15. Israel Folau

There's got to be some French players of the last decade in there. One of the 9s? Teddy Thomas?

Struggling for forwards. I can think of a few who never really broke in to pro rugby after shining in the age grades to the point they'd given up in their early 20s and more interested in boozing but that's about it.

miaow wrote:There's got to be some French players of the last decade in there. One of the 9s? Teddy Thomas?

Struggling for forwards. I can think of a few who never really broke in to pro rugby after shining in the age grades to the point they'd given up in their early 20s and more interested in boozing but that's about it.

Thomas has turned into a handy little player recently, which would be my only hesitation. 

Simon Taylor could be considered at 8? Or even the Toulouse 8 Gillian Galan who used to tear up trees in the junior ranks. Gavin Quinnell? He certainly had the pedigree for being successful but never kicked on...?

All fair calls, but we could end up with a list of players plagued by injuries instead of the much more fun team, which would be filled with the Hensons and Folaus of this world.

Hartley, for being banned so often?

I would suggest Cipriani but I too would choose Kelly Brook over taking my rugby career seriously.

miaow wrote:All fair calls, but we could end up with a list of players plagued by injuries instead of the much more fun team, which would be filled with the Hensons and Folaus of this world.

Hartley, for being banned so often?

You're right. Let's stay away from injury-plagued careers then. 

Hartley is a great shout. People will argue that he had 96 caps for England and Six Nations titles, but he culd have added a few Lions tours and Premiership titles to that too. He's in.

1. Matt Stevens?
2. Dylan Hartley
3. Ben Tameifuna?
4.
5.
6.
7. Michael Lipman 
8.
9.
10.
11. Rupeni Caucau
12. Gavin Henson
13. James O'Connor
14. Zac Guildford 
15. Israel Folau

[quote="bluestonevedder"]

miaow wrote:

Simon Taylor could be considered at 8? Or even the Toulouse 8 Gillian Galan who used to tear up trees in the junior ranks. Gavin Quinnell? He certainly had the pedigree for being successful but never kicked on...?

Could have been a great Simon Taylor, but it was injuries that did him really. Two Lions tours and only about half a match! Never really the same player again after the second ACL.

Soul Requiem wrote:I would suggest Cipriani but I too would choose Kelly Brook over taking my rugby career seriously.

Why not both? Juggling practice on the field...

I am not a christian, nor am i a regular church goer my self....But i fail to see why being Gay as any thing to do with "GOD". when i went to school...a very long time ago now mind you. I was constantly told that ( GOD created man in his own image) so surely reading between the lines GOD must of at least been ( if not) gay himself....at least bisexual.

Well, they do say 'God is Love', maj - maybe it really does mean He loves everyone. Which would make God pansexual. Hmmm...

I did think of Marc Cécillon but he had his career before going nuts.

Gavin Quinnell never seemed to kick on. I don't remember much about him. Was he 6'7 and 138kg like wiki says? He'd be chucked into the Wales first XV if he was still playing!

I'm surprised you don't remember what happened to Gavin Quinnell.

I remember the eye incident which happened at Cross Keys, but I don't remember much else about his playing days before then. I thought his pro career was done before that as he had been sent back to play in the prem.

Has anyone mentioned Nick Cummins, the Aussie winger? He played a few tests for the Aussies around 2012 and looked really good. Did he step back from internationals because of family illness? Really liked the way he played and had a great attitude. Funny guy too.

He also had a great nickname, the Honey Badger

Last I heard he played in Japan.

Cyril wrote:Has anyone mentioned Nick Cummins, the Aussie winger? He played a few tests for the Aussies around 2012 and looked really good. Did he step back from internationals because of family illness? Really liked the way he played and had a great attitude. Funny guy too.

He also had a great nickname, the Honey Badger

He was a lot of fun, had the best one liners and interviews, made a name for that alone in the celebrity, advertising circle.

He was the Oz 'The Bachelor' and hilariously just took off and never chose anyone. Typical, down to earth 'fair dinkum ozzie'

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/news/article.cfm?c_id=1501119&objectid=12245196

Haha. Didn’t realise he had that ‘celeb’ thing going on. Fair play that he realised it was all bollox and got out!

He does seem like a down-to-the-ground Aussie

mikey_dragon wrote:I remember the eye incident which happened at Cross Keys, but I don't remember much else about his playing days before then. I thought his pro career was done before that as he had been sent back to play in the prem.

Yeah he had bounced around, even being released in Italy iirc.

Soul Requiem wrote:I would suggest Cipriani but I too would choose Kelly Brook over taking my rugby career seriously.

Gotta be Cips surely? Anyone who can get hit by both the proverbial AND ACTUAL red bus and yell at a Melbourne night club bouncer 'Do you know who I am!' has got to be a candidate surely

Delon Armitage is another that probably could have been a very, very fine international had his attitude been a little (a lot) better. He had the skills to be a complete full back at the highest level.

Cyril wrote:Haha. Didn’t realise he had that ‘celeb’ thing going on. Fair play that he realised it was all bollox and got out!

He does seem like a down-to-the-ground Aussie

Have a watch of this. The guy’s a legend!

https://youtu.be/CxzsK4lkY-A

That’s brilliant!

My local in Roath (Cardiff) year’s ago was Bar Billabong and emblazoned on the wall was loads of sayings like that. My favourite was ‘busier than a one-armed paper hanger in a hurricane’