Former Wallabies fullback Israel Folau could be given a fresh start to his career after seeing himself become an Australian rugby outcast after some controversial comments he made last year.
The 30-year-old could be return to rugby league action if initial talks with a New York franchise are taken further.
Folau, who also happens to be a former Australia rugby league international, became the subject of a controversial row that saw his sporting career come to an end last year after he was sacked by Rugby Australia for claiming "hell awaits" sinners such as homosexuals.
As expected, the statement sparked lots of controversy which was followed up by statements from relevant governing bodies such as the NRL - with all of them jointly ruling out a return for the 30-year-old.
Folau's row with Rugby Australia dragged on for a while after the former Wallabies star had been suing RA for A$14m (£7.4m; $9.5m) after having his contract terminated in May.
Folau, a Christian, was defiant that the termination of his contract was simply a case of religious discrimination.
However, a recent report from the Daily Telegraph stated that a New York franchise - currently bidding to enter England's third tier League One competition in 2021 - has been in talks with Folau.
The 30-year-old reached an agreement with Rugby Australia and announced an out-of-court settlement late last year following months of backlash emanating from Folau being sacked over his controversial social media posts, which read: “Drunks, Homosexuals, Adulterers, Liars, Fornicators, Thieves, Atheists, Idolators: Hell Awaits You. Repent! Only Jesus Saves.”
While the report earlier mentioned goes on to say that Folau was not yet formally offered a contract, the club's CEO Ricky Wilby reportedly made an "introductory call" which could pave the way for further discussions to take place in the coming weeks.
However, Wilby told The Daily Telegraph in a recent interview:
"I don't want to people to think we have automatically signed him."
“It was an introductory call to explain the community ethos behind the club and about how we will engage with all groups across the New York area,”
“We also spoke about how we want to grow the team and game organically in the United States and how the large foundations of what this club will be built on will be community-based. But I don’t want to people to think we have automatically signed him.”
New York will be hoping to follow in the blueprints of fellow code-hopper Sonny Bill Williams' new club, the Toronto Wolfpack, by entering the competition at a much lower division and advancing their way up for promotion to the Super League.
Unibets, Neds and a lot of other Aussie betting sites have placed good transfer odds on where Folau could end up returning back to rugby league action. It remains to be seen whether a move for Folau will indeed materialize but you could place your money on a "YES" condition and hope to get good returns. It is widely expected that the 30-year-old would be back on the field after recent developments - it's only a matter of with who.
The 30-year-old began his career in the 13-man code in 2007 playing for the Melbourne Storm before moving to join the Brisbane Broncos two years later. He had a successful four-year stint in the game representing Queensland in State of Origin and further playing eight tests for Australia before switching to Aussie rules and then rugby. He went on to earn 62 Wallabies caps.
His future remains the subject of discussion but is set to be clear soon enough. New York officials told the Telegraph the city would be the “perfect place for Folau to continue his career and rediscover the form that led him to representing the Kangaroos and Wallabies.”
In April British clubs voted in favour of New York and Ottawa joining their domestic league structure which already includes the Toronto Wolfpack, which joined in 2017.
While the verdict isn't definitive yet as to whether Australian rugby league officials have permanently ruled out a NRL return for Folau, the 30-year-old is reported to be considering other playing options.
The sacked star is focused on remaining in the professional athlete cycle and is doing all he can to earn a return to league action.