Israel Folau

Maria's husband, Israel, is set to have his contract terminated by Rugby Australia for his latest homophobic and transphobic outburst.

He hasn't made any further comments since the reaction to his Twitter and Instagram posts, while Maria has also stayed away from social media.

But given couple's high profile, it has put the spotlight on Maria and how this could impact her netball career, both with the Thunderbirds who begin their season on April 28 and the Silver Ferns.

Hours after Rugby Australia ripped up Folau's contract, Australian Rugby League chairman Peter Beattie made it clear to the Sydney Morning Herald that the former Melbourne and Broncos star would have to continue his career elsewhere.

"Israel Folau doesn't pass our inclusiveness culture, which is a policy strongly supported by the ARLC," Beattie said.

Ardern was asked at a press conference on Thursday about Folau's posts which were quickly condemned by his employer Rugby Australia.

"Obviously at a personal level I clearly don't agree with what he said, and [I'm] very mindful of the fact that he is for many a role model. He's a person in a position of influence and I think that with that comes responsibility," Ardern said.

Wallabies international Folau, one of Australia's top players and most marketable athletes, wrote on Instagram that gays would be condemned to "hell" if they failed to "repent".

New South Wales Waratahs player Folau, an evangelical Christian, made similar comments last April.

Now it's potentially double trouble for the bottom-placed and soon-to-be-extinct Sunwolves, with Folau's younger brother John in line to make his NSW Waratahs debut at Newcastle's McDonald Jones Stadium.

John Folau, in his maiden season at the Waratahs after switching codes from rugby league, was promoted to the bench on Thursday after winger Curtis Rona was ruled out with a groin injury.

While Alex Newsome will start as Rona's replacement, the 24-year-old Folau is almost certain to be unleashed on the Sunwolves at some point in the second half.

Despite a season of controversy and offers to go overseas, Folau is understood to have pushed for a long-term deal in Australia, and Rugby Australia and the NSW Waratahs agreed despite a four-year extension taking him through to 34.

The deal is yet to be publicly unveiled but it is a matter of when, not if.

Signing through to the end of 2022 still leaves Folau a year shy of the Rugby World Cup in France but it will tally up ten seasons of rugby in Australia, and almost certainly end any potential for him to resume playing rugby league.

Injury concerns Israel Folau and Taniela Tupou are racing the clock to make a comeback after being included in a 31-strong Wallabies squad for The Rugby Championship

Folau is considered a "50-50" chance of playing the Springboks in Brisbane on Saturday night after only running for the first time on Friday since injuring his ankle against the All Blacks in Sydney two weeks ago.

The clash against the Pumas will be played on the Gold Coast on September 15.

And the defiant Wallabies superstar is also vowing to attack the high ball with his customary vigour despite copping a contentious one-match ban earlier this year for a clumsy aerial challenge on Ireland captain Peter O'Mahony.

Wallabies coach Michael Cheika won't name his starting side until Thursday and has gone to great lengths to keep his side under wraps, but Folau all but revealed he'd be wearing the No.15 jumper in the series opener at ANZ Stadium.

Folau was shown a yellow card before being given a citing commissioner's warning following two separate incidents involving Ireland captain O'Mahony in Sydney, where the Six Nations champions won 20-16 to take the series 2-1.

The Australia full-back faced a World Rugby disciplinary hearing on Wednesday and was given a suspension that is set to rule him out of the Waratahs' Super Rugby clash with the Rebels on Friday.

Folau and Rugby Australia have until Friday morning to appeal against the decision. 

Folau has been cited for a tackle in the air against Ireland, but it's not the contest for which he was sent to the sin bin.

Folau was yellow-carded in the 31st minute over a contest with Ireland skipper Peter O'Mahony, where the latter fell awkwardly and was stretchered off, but it was a kick-off contest earlier that caught the citing commissioner's eyes.

In both instances, O'Mahony was lifted by teammate CJ Stander, leaving him in a precarious place in the air, an issue Haylett-Petty suggested was more dangerous than any contact in the air.