Australia star Israel Folau denies his homophobic comments are a ploy in contract negotiations

And the code-hopping back appeared to double down on his stance in a recent social media post

Folau's comments have not gone down well, but he stands by them (Getty)

Negotiations over a new Rugby Australia contract for Israel Folau look set to be a complicated and drawn-out affair as controversy continues to swirl around one of the nation's best-known sports stars.

The 29-year old has received lucrative offers from both Europe and Japan to take his considerable talent elsewhere, while the NRL also believe he could be tempted back to rugby league. In the background, a fire blazes over his recent comments on homosexuality which have been met with widespread criticism, but Folau has yet to back down, reinforcing his religious beliefs on the matter by posting a link to an apparently anti-gay Christian sermon to his Twitter.

Folau’s wife Maria has also found herself in hot water after complaining on social media about her husband’s deployment on the wing rather than at his preferred position of fullback for the Waratahs last week. This has caused some to suggest that the Wallabies’ star is courting controversy to strengthen his negotiating position, but Folau denies this.

"That simply isn't true," he wrote. "There have been rugby offers from the UK, Europe and Japan that are way above anything I could earn in Australia.

"This is not about money or bargaining power or contracts. It's about what I believe in and never compromising that, because my faith is far more important to me than my career and always will be."

In a piece for the PlayersVoice website Folau clarified that he had offered to end his Rugby Australia contract with immediate effect. The board turned the offer down, but continued outrage over Folau’s views has caused discontent among key sponsors, including vital financial backers Qantas, the airline.

Folau has played rugby league and Australian rules at the highest level previously and thus is an extremely high-profile sporting figure in Australia. His contract finishes at the end of the year, but with the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan looming large Rugby Australia are keen to extend him through next year.

Queensland Reds’ Head Coach and fellow code-hopper Brad Thorn is believed to be keen to prise the controversial star away from the Waratahs, but there is no guarantee he stays in rugby union. Talk of a move back to the NRL resurfaces each time Folau’s contract is up, and should the fullback’s views cause the financially vulnerable Rugby Australia to lose sponsors, they may be forced to let him go.

Rugby players, officials and referees have called out Folau over his homophobic slurs, but with the player standing by his beliefs it has left Rugby Australia with a tough decision.