ARU pulling power at limit as Folau edges closer to deal with Waratahs Holding off: Israel Folau impressed for the Wallabies against the British and Irish Lions. The ARU has done all it can to convince Israel Folau to stay in the sport and is waiting for the dual international to put pen to paper, the union's chief executive said on Friday. Folau is understood to be close to agreeing to a deal that would allow him to play for Australia at the 2015 World Cup. On Friday he was named in Ewen McKenzie's Wallabies squad for next month's Rugby Championship. ARU chief Bill Pulver said he was "delighted" to read Folau had signalled his intent to play for the Waratahs for the next two seasons but stressed no deal had been signed. "I'm conscious of some very positive dialogue going on but I have not seen a signed contract," he said. I've been waiting for weeks so I'm hoping it's imminent but it's not done. Asked if the ARU had taken all it could to the negotiating table in its effort to convince Folau to stay in rugby beyond his first season, Pulver said: "Largely, that would be a correct summary, that's right." We are reasonably optimistic we're going to get a signature there but it's not done. He's enjoying the game, we're loving having him as part of the game, he's making an incredible contribution on the paddock, so it's all going in the right direction. But it's not done until it's done - and it's not done. Waratahs coach Michael Cheika, who played a key role in luring Folau to rugby late last year, declined to comment on the situation on Friday. But McKenzie said he would not have selected Folau in his squad if he did not believe the outside back was serious about a future in rugby. "I'm pretty confident it will roll out in a positive way," McKenzie said. I haven't asked to be involved in it and, if I had, that would suggest there might be problems, so I am confident that it will get there. Folau earned three Test caps for Australia, all on the wing, less than a year after calling time on a challenging two-year spell in the AFL. He had agreed to go back to his first love, rugby league, by joining the Parramatta Eels this year, but salary cap restrictions forced the 24-year-old to look outside the NRL and, eventually, to the Waratahs. Now ensconced in a demanding Test calendar, with a season of Super Rugby under his belt, Folau has said several times he is happy in rugby, and said in May he hoped to have a deal worked out "in the next month or so." The ARU and Waratahs both hope to have a commitment secured before the Wallabies go into camp for the Rugby Championship, which would mean an August 5 deadline. McKenzie said he never panicked about contract negotiations but did hope to have it sorted before his first Wallabies campaign. "You can't get bogged down, there are people employed to do those things so [Folau] and I will get on with the football side of things," he said. You don't want to be playing too much footy without a contract sitting there so I'm pretty confident that will get sorted out. I have nothing telling me otherwise. Folau was named alongside 40-Test veteran James O'Connor as one of two "wing or fullback" options in the extended squad, which will be whittled down to between 25 and 30 on August 9. Jesse Mogg was also named as a fullback option, while McKenzie nominated a host of candidates on the wing, including Joe Tomane and Nick Cummins, as well as uncapped stars Peter Betham and Chris Feauai-Sautia. Experienced wing option Digby Ioane and fullback Kurtley Beale were ruled out through injury.