Career
He is currently the assistant coach of the Street George Illawarra Dragons. Folkes, who was Captain of Punchbowl Boys" High School, came from the Bankstown Sports Junior Rugby League Club, played 245 first grade games and 308 grade games for the Bulldogs between 1978 and 1991 as well as 24 games for Hull in England. A hard-working second-row forward.
Despite playing at 85 kilograms, he could beat many, much bigger opponents through the number of tackles he was able to make.
He also represented New South Wales on nine occasions in State of Origin football. At the end of the 1986 NSWRL season, he went on the 1986 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain and France.
He would play a total of five Tests between 1986-1988. As a player, Folkes played in 6 Grand Finals (1979, 80, 84, 85, 86 and 88) winning on four occasions.
After serving as reserve grade coach of the Bulldogs between 1996 and 1997, Folkes was appointed coach of the Bulldogs to succeed Chris Anderson.
In his first year as coach, the Bulldogs made the 1998 NRL grand final, where they lost to Wayne Bennett"s Brisbane Broncos. The Bulldogs appeared poised to claim the 2002 NRL premiership but were disqualified and stripped 37 premiership points after a major salary cap breach was uncovered. Folkes claimed his premiership two seasons later with a 16–13 defeat of the Sydney Roosters in the grand final.
On 7 April 2008, the Bulldogs announced that Folkes tenure as would end with the 2008 season.
Following his departure from the Bulldogs, Folkes took up a position as strength and conditioning coach for the West Indies cricket team In October 2009, Folkes returned to rugby league, accepting the role of strength and conditioning coach for the Wests Tigers.
In 2011, he was an assistant coach with the club lieutenant was announced in May 2011 that Folkes would join the Street George Illawarra Dragons as the assistant coach to Steve Price from 2012.