'A sad situation': Hunt opens on Folau saga
Karmichael Hunt has opened up on the “sad” situation facing teammate Israel Folau and a “shell-shocked” Waratahs.
Folau will fight to save his rugby career when he fronts a Rugby Australia code of conduct hearing on May 4 after a controversial social media post that said homosexuals and a number of other groups, including drunks and atheists, were destined for hell.
The Wallabies and Waratahs star has been stood down from training and playing commitments indefinitely and is unlikely to feature again this year.
After a similar post last year, Folau’s latest comments have not gone down well with teammates, coaches and those at RA.
Hunt has also found himself in hot water throughout his sporting career but for different reasons.
In 2015, he was fined $32,500 and banned for five matches by the Queensland Reds after pleading guilty to four counts of cocaine possession.
Last year he was dumped by the Reds after being arrested for drug possession. The charges were later dropped but Hunt was fined $10,000 by RA, putting his rugby career in turmoil. He was unable to train or play throughout 2018.
The Waratahs offered the 32-year-old another chance in rugby.
“It’s a sad situation,” Hunt said of the Folau issue. “I’ve got a personal connection with Izzy that’s gone back many years now, so to obviously see him the position that he’s in – regardless of what his behaviours have caused – I still feel for him.
“There’s a process in place now which is out of our control, out of my control and away from my personal beliefs. We as a team just have to worry about moving forward and the process will take care of itself in due time.
“If anyone is in trouble or needs a hand, I'll always want to put my hand out there and support them regardless but in terms of my personal beliefs, I'm going to leave it at that and just move forward."
Asked whether he had spoken to Folau since his latest social media post, Hunt said: “I’ve sent him a message or two just to see how he’s going personally and I’ve heard back from him but I haven’t managed to catch up with him. Obviously we’ll watch this space in terms of what happens with his code of conduct hearing. That’s all I’m going to say on that, sorry.”
Even if Folau does not have his four-year, multi-million dollar deal ripped up, he will have to repair relationships with teammates.
His Waratahs and Wallabies captain, Michael Hooper, has said it would be difficult to take the field with him, while halfback Will Genia said it was wrong of the fullback to “go around spreading hate”.
Hunt said a gritty 23-20 win over the Melbourne Rebels on Saturday proved the team were in a favourable mindset as they get accustomed to life without Folau.
“Initially you have a pretty shell-shocked change room and I think that's just a natural feeling to be had regardless of right or wrong because he is a teammate,” Hunt said. “But the one thing about football ... you need to be able to move on pretty quickly, regardless of if you have a 50-point loss to a team on the weekend or you lose a player like Israel. You've got to be able to look forward and worry about the week coming. That's what the guys have been doing.
"The performance on the weekend showed where the guys' head space is at. We're worried about what we want to get out of this season and fulfilling our potential. I think the weekend just gone was a step in the right direction.”
The Waratahs, who sit second in the Australian conference, four points behind the Rebels, face the Sharks this Saturday at the new Bankwest Stadium in Parramatta.