Siliva Havili backs Israel Folau's return for Tongan rugby league team

So says Tongan hooker Siliva Havili, who has thrown his weight behind Folau's bid to pull on the red jersey for the national side's end-of-season Tests despite not playing rugby league in nine years.

Folau could make a shock code switch after his Rugby Australia contract was torn up in May for controversial social media posts in which he said homosexuals among others would go to hell.

The Tongan National Rugby League has stated Folau and his brother John would be selected to feature against Australia and Great Britain over the coming six weeks.

Havili has urged the RLIF to clear the way for Folau to return to international rugby league as the Tongan side looks to shelve a bitter dispute and build on their thrilling 2017 World Cup campaign.

"Hundred per cent. I would love to see him play. It's good for the international game and it's good for our little nation," Havili said.

"He is a superstar in his own right, in both codes he was. Having that sort of player in our team makes us a big threat.

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"It's exciting what we can display. Not only for us, but for nations like Samoa and Fiji if they can have players come to them, it's going to be exciting for international rugby league."

The Folau drama is the latest subplot in Tongan rugby league's circus headlined by players pushing for the resignations of TNRL chairman George Koloamatangi and secretary William Edwards.

The TNRL appointed Frank Endacott to take the reins after sacking Kristian Woolf - a man highly respected by Tonga's playing group.

Now those same players - led by superstar forwards Andrew Fifita and Jason Taumalolo - are threatening to boycott the October 26 Test against Great Britain and the clash with Australia on November 2.

Tonga's Nines World Cup coach Garth Brennan has stood down as a result of the backstage drama and Havili fears the worst is yet to come.

The internal struggle risks making Tonga's emergence as a rival to international rugby league's big three fall to pieces.

"That's the part that hurts. We've built something, our team brought our nation together in that World Cup and they are still buzzing to this moment," Havili said.

"These little things that are beyond the admin, the committee, the board, they take charge of that and it can only turn against us.

"It's sad to see, but that's what happens within our Tongan nature. It's not good for the game. It's not good for us, Tonga, following what we have built on since the 2017 World Cup.

"They're trying to take away our leader, our coach Kristian Woolf, and he has built our team and we have a really tight bunch of boys there. If we do lose him, we lose trust within the team for whoever steps in.

"I'm just hoping it gets sorted before these Tests that come up in October so we do play and we don't have to boycott because of this.

"It seems like a little thing, but it's going to turn away the opportunities we get as a country, especially if we're playing against these big teams.

"It's not a good sign for us, and it's not a good sign for rugby league."