Israel Folau wants to be a legend

Sky is the limit for this guy. Unbelievable talent and instincts - if the Aussies can't win with this guy there is a serious problem. Great news for rugby that he considers it his long-term home. Don't know him that well, but from what I see on the field he is a class act and seems to really enjoy playing.

From Rugby Heaven

The desire to hear his name uttered in the same breath as rugby legends Jonah Lomu, David Campese and Brian O'Driscoll could keep Israel Folau in rugby beyond the next World Cup.

The Waratahs fullback, who is contracted to rugby until the end of next year, has revealed he considers rugby his long-term home and wants to leave it only when he is considered a legend of the code by its followers.

"That's what I'm looking to achieve," Folau said. "When I re-signed last year I said I wanted to be in the game long term. After next year I'd like to be in the game again for a further - however long that will take me to."

Folau was responding to comments made almost a year ago by then Wallabies coach Robbie Deans.

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Deans was putting together his squad for the British and Irish Lions series, and Folau, having played just a handful of Super Rugby matches, had committed to Australian rugby for just one year.

Deans told reporters the 24-year-old was in the mix for Test selection. "Israel does some things that no one else can do," he said in May. "How many games has he had now - 10 or so? It's remarkable what he can do for a bloke who's playing his 10th game of rugby.

"Whatever happens, let's hope he sticks around because he could be an absolute legend of the game if he does."

Folau went on to form a crucial part of the Wallabies' run-on side under both Deans and his successor Ewen McKenzie. He re-signed with the Waratahs and Wallabies in August for a further two years.

"You get a lot of confidence out of hearing comments from people like [Deans]," Folau said at Waratahs headquarters on Thursday.

"I'm just really enjoying it, and I want to challenge myself every time I go out there to play Super Rugby or international[s]."

The cross-code battle for the dual international will be fierce next year as the Australian Rugby Union seeks to secure his talents for their 2016 Olympic campaign and the NRL - Folau's first home - looks to lure him back to league.

One thing is for sure: the NRL will not be caught napping again after watching rugby pounce on one of their most marketable talents.

Whether rugby, a code that is under well-documented and considerable financial pressures, will have the firepower to compete with a bullish NRL is another matter.

"I'm sure there will be a lot of clubs who will be in talks with my management when the time comes. It depends how I'm feeling during the time," Folau told Fairfax Media earlier this month.

"I'm in a good place where I'm enjoying the game. If I'm involved in the World Cup that's huge, so I guess it comes to the time to re-assess and see how I'm feeling, but rugby league is definitely on as an option."

For now, Folau is focused on adding ball-playing to his arsenal at the Waratahs.

The fullback has a licence to roam alongside fellow ball-players Kurtley Beale and Bernard Foley, and believes it is the key to his evolution in rugby.

"As a fullback I can see now that they're starting to step up and be ball-players as well, and I want to take that on as well," he said.

His growth in rugby is beyond doubt. Where the Folau of 2013 could occasionally go quiet in Test matches, the Folau of early 2014 has been popping up everywhere in attack.

NSW coach Michael Cheika said it was "no coincidence" his fullback was in a position to finish off three tries against the Force last weekend.

"A year into the game you know what to expect and you're thinking a couple of phases ahead where you feel like you're going to be or where you see yourself playing next," Folau said.

The Waratahs play the Queensland Reds at ANZ Stadium on Saturday in the most anticipated of Australia's Super Rugby derby matches.

Waratahs captain Dave Dennis was ruled out late with a knee injury, and will be replaced at No.6 by Stephen Hoiles, with Pat McCutcheon moving to the bench.

The Reds were also hit by injury, ruling out dynamic centre Mike Harris with an ankle injury. Anthony Fainga'a will start in his place, with Ben Lucas taking his place on the bench.

 I have watched Folau over the years from Bronco days in League, through AFL and now in the Waratahs. He has always shown amazing ability and you can see watching him play he is really enjoying himself. If only he was at the Reds. He is great for Rugby Union in Australia at a time when he is sorely needed.

folaus been amazing ever since his debut in league for the melbourne storm, when he started making the headlines, he was just a magnet for the kids and PRs dream player.

no doubt he can be a real legend, but he needs to stay in union and not do a SBW who also had the potnetial to be a legend.

and speaking of deans and mackenzie, when deans was talking about folaus potential in the wallabies, mackenzie who was reds coach at the time was not rating folau for the national green and yellow.
there was also that leaked list last year, where mackenzie didnt have folau in his wallabys team, while all the other coaches did except cheika who didnt partake in that request.

lucky for the wallabies deano went with folau and the rest is history.

full credit to deano for not lobbing bombs at either the wallabies or ARU after his time, not having a big mouth is something that mackenzie still needs to learn, he was quite mouthy before the first All Blacks test last year, and turned into a mute right after it, except for the blaming the ref, lolz.

but wallabies are the only team the All Blacks need to watch out for come the RWC, but as long as the All blacks field our strongest team possible, we should not only win the RWC, but be undefeated in 2014 as well as 2015.

There is of course the small issue of NZ never having won a RWC away from home. I wouldn't be discounting that issue so blithely. And lest we forget:

 

 

TeamAppearancesWonWin rate (Tournaments)Win rate (Matches)South Africa5240%86%New Zealand7229%88%Australia7229%85%England7114%73%

 

 I suppose that's the last little tid-bit Saffa fans can hang their hats on.  If the AB's break the record for test wins after being the first team of the pro era to go undefeated in a  calendar year to further solidly NZ's claim to be the greatest rugby playing nation on earth, you'll still find Saffa fan boys claiming 'You haven't won a world cup away from home!' when the springboks can barely win a Rugby Championship...

 Ha ha Moz: is the baiting & fishing good in these waters mate, lol

 

Green faced fisherman

 

 

When the ABs win the RWC away it will then be something else, "you havn't won when it was raining; ... when the grounds were soft... in an enclosed stadium..." lol Your list of conditions for greatness is limitless. How about the Boks, how are they doing?

The Israel Folau I saw get chewed up and spat out throughout the Rugby Championship looked anything but a legend. He can make things happen, and I thought he would be useful at 12, but for Toomua excelling and turning around the EOYT.

 Folau is a good player.

There are many good players out there, few legends. I think he should first consolidate good before dropping the label legend. He sounds like he is falling for his own hype, that never turns out good. He was a disaster at test level.

 folau was pretty good againgst the lions, but its only NH competition haha.

He was okay, torn apart in the Rugby Championship and then afforded all the time in the world on the EOYT. It was the same thing with Willie at 15, he was under no pressure whatsoever on tour, and both players were overly hyped on that basis when earlier in the year they were exposed, badly. Only the hype surrounding Folau has been absurd in the extreme.

It's not a matter that NH opposition isn't good enough, it's that they never targeted him at all. There was no resistance. Similar to the Lions tour in 97, the Lions fullback said he was surprised he wasn't targeted because he would have been exposed. It just didn't occur at all, which makes claims that Folau is a legend in the making even more bizarre given that the only tests he has faced at test level ended in a spectacular failure. He was totally ineffective against South Africa and New Zealand and one of the chief culprits for their losses.

 People forget how bad the aussie team was last year i mean it was shocking! he didnt do to bad givin the tools he has to work with but its true he isnt anywhere near a legend like lomu a legend carter is even BoD is a legend they have played well against all teams to get that title and conistantly as well, the reason why he does so well against NH teams is due to the fact there kicking and the chase up is very poor along with many dog legs and not an even rush defence and for someone who has played league its like christmas! 
Ill wait and see him in a few years to judge if he will be in the hall of fame rugby players of the hall of very very good ! 

He got skinned repeatedly on defence due to lack of pace and was turned over repeatedly. What we saw last year was an atrocious fullback. Of course in Super rugby you have far more time and space. Super rugby is much further away from test rugby than it was in the past. This will only further embolden the Aussies and come test time, flop. On the EOYT, particularly after the England loss, the opposition were very passive on defence. The Wallabies thrive if you give them time and space, but they fall apart if you don't. The Boks and All Blacks smothered them with physicality and ran them ragged thereafter. Cooper and Folau are not the answer.

There seems to be a misunderstanding on this thread. The title of the the thread is not "Israel Folau is a legend", the title of the thread is "Israel Folau wants to be a legend" . . . so all the squealers who are bleating that he's not a legend yet, have a little think about that.
Personally, I think Folau is already well on the way to becoming a rugby legend with some fantastic performances since his switch from League . . . and the fact that a dribbling half-wit like Sun-Tzwat think he's nothing special is very much in his favour. 
Folau was the first name on my Fantasy Rugby team sheet this season and he'd be the first name on my current World XV if I was picking one.

 You were the same stooge who backed Watson, says everything really.

"You were the same stooge who backed Watson . . ."
Really? And you remember that, Alutwa . . . I mean Sun Tzwat . . . even though you lied that you're new around here and you certainly weren't around 10 years ago when Luke Watson was still playing as an openside flanker for the Sharks . . . which is about the last time I rated him as a player. 
Interesting. So, the question really is, were you lying then or are you lying now? Hmmm? Come on, big-mouth, let's hear your answer.

The last? Not so. As per my identity, it changes not the validity of what I speak, it's of no concern to you or anyone else. Prattle as you wish with your vulgarity, it's water off a duck's back. 

Wehe! Don't worry, little chap, I know exactly why you're dodging the very simple question.
I also know that in the not-too-distant future you'll be banging on about what a brilliant player Israel Folau is while trying very hard to pretend that you always rated him and never slagged him off.