Australian sports journalist Andrew Webster believes discarded Wallabies star Israel Folau used his controversial Instagram post to escape professional sport.
On Friday, Folau had his multi-year contract with Rugby Australia - worth millions of dollars - torn up, after taking to Instagram last month to proclaim "hell awaits drunks, homosexuals, adulterers, liars, fornicators, thieves, atheists and idolaters".
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The post was the second time Folau had sparked controversy through his social-media accounts, as he was also reprimanded for a similar post in 2018.
Webster, the Sydney Morning Herald's openly gay chief sports writer, believes Folau's actions were a deliberate way to cut ties with the sport, after playing professionally since he was only 17 years old.
"People within the Wallabies set-up are certain that a lot of this is driven by the fact that he's just had enough," Webster said on Nine Network's Sports Sunday. "He's been playing professional sport [from] the age of 17, when he debuted for the Melbourne Storm.
"He's played three different codes, and they seem to think that the way that he has acted and the way that he was just such a renegade with this last social media post after what happened exactly a year ago, suggests to them in the Wallabies set-up that he just doesn't want to play professional sport any more.
"It's also his beliefs - he's dug in for that.
"Can I just say this, though? See ya, Israel, see ya.
"I'm just so glad that this issue [is over]. I know it's probably going to kick on in the courts, but it's been such a ridiculous debate.
"The way Israel Folau has been positioned as a victim, that he's been persecuted, as some modern-day Muhammad Ali in the last 10 days is just ridiculous.
"He's not being vilified for his Christian beliefs. He's being vilified for vilifying others and to be honest, that's it.
"That's the debate and that's where it ends. It's so good that Rugby Australia and that disciplinary committee could see that."
Folau had just signed a four-year deal, two months before his outrageous post.
On top of that, Folau told the Sydney Morning Herald after a church service that he was prepared to walk away from the sport without a fight for the sake of his faith.
Folau began his career with the Melbourne Storm in 2007 and later that year became the youngest-ever player to represent Australia.
In 2011, he moved to AFL and spent two years with Greater Western Sydney, before switching to rugby union in 2013, where he's been since.
Reports claim Folau will head to the Supreme Court to appeal Rugby Australia's decision to terminate his contract.
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