Mike Hosking: Raelene Castle has failed leadership test over Folau scandal

As good as Israel Folau is, we are still not talking about his rugby skills. When we last mentioned him, the conclusion I had drawn was he needed to go.

Not because I don't believe in free speech generally because I do, and not because he is not heart felt in his belief because he is. It's because his position is part of something much bigger than him.

And ironically given the subject, it seems slightly unchristian to keep doing what he's doing and in doing that, making himself the centre of attention. We get what he believes in and what he believes in is deeply unsettling to a lot of people.

But what has made this worse is Raelene Castle, the head of Australian Rugby. She never dealt with it in the first place, she never set the parameters of the conversation.

According to Folau himself she misrepresented his views. She told him one thing, the sponsors another. The public version of events was she heard Folau, they agreed to be nice about things, rugby was an inclusive sport and that was about that.

But by not being a leader, it wasn't resolved. And when things aren't resolved they fester.
And one thing you knew for sure was that Folau wasn't going to stop making the sort of religious noises he makes. So castle should have done one of two things, tell him to stop or he's out.

Or told the world that Folau views were his own, he was entitled to them and whether you pay a lot of attention to them going forward is up to you.

Because heart felt belief is not something employers can really control, especially when they come with biblical backing and sport is sport and religion doesn't actually enter the field.

Having done neither she failed the leadership test.

And has gone on to spend time on TV complaining about how hard it all is and how she doesn't have an answer when all along that's exactly what she has had.

And not just that, but she's the only one with it.

If you can't lead when leadership is required, if you can't make the call ,draw the line, impose the sanction, set the limits. explain the rules, what's the point of being in the job.

Is it tough? Of course it is, wring your hands as much as you want. But it still doesn't change the fact that the boss, the CEO, the head honcho is there for a very specific purpose. And that is to set the agenda, set the mood, enforce the rules, make the big calls.

If all leadership required was to sound indecisive and kick for touch, we'd all be doing it.
And when you make the calls, the rest of us know where we are at. It defines the foundries going forward. All Raelene Castle has done is throw fuel on the fire. Israel isn't changing.

But by not drawing boundaries, each time he does what he does from here on in it'll only get worse. She has failed to define whether this is bad or not, acceptable or not, sackable or not.

And by failing in that, it's left it up to all and sundry.

And that's why it's the firestorm it is.