'Inclusive' NRL slams the door on possible Israel Folau return

Call off the guessing game about which NRL club Israel Folau could go to because the Australian Rugby League Commission will officially deny the cross-code star a return.

Hours after Rugby Australia ripped up Folau's contract, Australian Rugby League chairman Peter Beattie made it clear to the Sydney Morning Herald that the former Melbourne and Broncos star would have to continue his career elsewhere.

"Israel Folau doesn't pass our inclusiveness culture, which is a policy strongly supported by the ARLC," Beattie said.

"And after talking to some commissioners tonight, we don't support him playing rugby league again."

Beattie had dealt with no shortage off-field incidents over the summer – and a few more that are about to return to the courts in the coming weeks – and naturally was not overly keen to take the spotlight off his rivals.

"That's a matter for them," Beattie told the Herald earlier in the day.

"Any game has to have tolerance of the different points of view, and rugby league has demonstrated that with what we did with our grand final in 2017.

"We're about being inclusive and tolerant, and we believe in that strongly. That's the future of any game."

Beattie was referring to the game's choice of US rapper Macklemore for half-time entertainment at the 2017 showpiece. Macklemore performed his chart-topping song Same Love, angering conservatives as the same-sex marriage debate heated up.

Folau was on the radar of half a dozen clubs just 12 months ago when his contentious views threatened to end his time in the 15-man code.

The 30-year-old has not played in the NRL since 2010. Parramatta were keen several years ago, tabling a whopping $3 million offer over four years, but no club will even have the chance to entertain him now.

North Queensland were immediately linked to Folau because they are in need of a fullback after Valentine Holmes was picked up by the NFL.

But as coach Paul Green rightfully pointed out, Folau was not even a fullback.

"And I think that position has changed a fair bit over the years," he said.

The NRL would have expected Folau to conform to its policies on social media – policies that RA has in place as well and which Folau ignored again this week - but the ARLC's tough stance means that conversation will never take place.