The door has been left ajar for Israel Folau to make a stunning NRL return, with ARL Chairman Peter V'landys confirming he would consider a homecoming for the divisive star if a club submitted an official application to the league's head office.
V’landys has previously shut down a Folau return, declaring in 2019 that the NRL is “inclusive” while Folau’s “comments are not”.
Despite this, he insisted this morning that the former Wallaby would receive "due process and natural justice".
“I can’t comment on that until a club makes an application,” V’landys said on 1170 SEN Breakfast with Vossy.
“We have a legal obligation to provide due process and natural justice with Israel Folau and we will do that, if a club makes an application.”
The St. George Illawarra Dragons were rumoured to be interested in Folau last month, but pulled out of their pursuit after considerable public backlash.
Despite the backlash, the Dragons never made their recruitment attempt official, and V’landys confirmed the NRL would meet directly with Folau if a club decided to officially target the former Queensland star.
“If a club makes an application, we will consider it on its due merits, and we will meet with Israel," he added.
“I’m not going to speculate on an outcome before that process, and like any other person in the community he deserves due process and natural justice and he will get that.
“A decision will be made, but I can’t speculate on what that decision may be.”
Folau's contract was terminated by Rugby Australia in 2019 for posting harmful and dangerous views about same-sex marriage and homosexuality on his social media accounts.
Listen to V'landys' full chat with Vossy in the audio player below.