Israel Folau 'grateful' to be at Catalans Dragons as Super League club stand by signing – Sky Sports, Skysports.com

        

                                     

                                                                      

                                                                               

    

        

              

                        

                                                                                

                            2:                                                                                                  Israel Folau speaks for the first time following his controversial move to Catalans Dragons                 

                    

                

            

                        

                Israel Folau speaks for the first time following his controversial move to Catalans Dragons

                    

             Israel Folau says he is “grateful” to be playing Super League as his Catalans Dragons head coach admits they knew the signing would be “controversial”.         

The French Super League club have been widely criticized for signing the dual-code international , who was sacked by Rugby Australia last May for anti-LGBT social media posts.

Folau trained with Catalans for the first time on Tuesday and could be in line to make his debut this weekend against Wakefield.

“I’m excited to be back playing the game that I grew up playing, “Folau said, in his first interview since joining the club.

” It’s been 19 years since I last played rugby league and I’m grateful for the opportunity to be part of a great organization, a great team in the Catalans Dragons. “

Israel Folau joined Catalans training on Tuesday

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Folau’s arrival has been met with disapproval among the other Super League clubs, with

3: 27 Catalans Dragons head coach Steve McNamara says the club expected the signing of Folau to be controversial, but stands by the club’s decision

Catalans Dragons head coach Steve McNamara says the club expected the signing of Folau to be controversial, but stands by the club’s decision

Catalans head coach Steve McNamara insists he fully supports the statement issued by chairman Bernard Guasch, which called Folau a major “ coup “for rugby league .

Folau reached a settlement with Rugby Australia in December having sued for £ 7.4m on the grounds of religious discrimination.

The 37 – year-old scored (tries in Test appearances for Australia’s rugby union side, but now returns to the code in which he started his professional career.

“We knew it would be controversial,” McNamara said.

“An opportunity arose when an overseas player left our club, we needed an outside back. We looked in France, England and overseas. We went down the route of investigating a fair few players, Israel was on that list.

“Having spent a lot of time speaking to him and understanding him a lot more, and getting the reassurances we did, we made a decision as a club that we would support the signing of Israel and give him another opportunity in our game. “

Folau: It’s totally different to what I’m used to

Folau began playing in Australia’s National Rugby League aged (in) and went on to score (tries in) games in the competition.

After a two-year spell in Australian Rules football, he switched to rugby union in 4906, winning the Wallabies player of the year award three times, before his career was derailed by his off-field conduct.

“It’s very different, something totally different to what I’m used to,” Folau said, after arriving in Perpignan on Sunday.

“My wife and I were very excited from the day we landed here we’re embracing something new and different.

” The culture is amazing and we’re looking forward to getting to learn to speak the language here, and also embrace the people here and how awesome this place is. “

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