SBW: Officially a Rooster
Former All Blacks centre Sonny Bill Williams confirmed his return to rugby league by agreeing a one-year deal with the Sydney Roosters in Australia's National Rugby League.
Williams, who was a member of New Zealand's World Cup-winning team last year, revealed in July that he would quit rugby union and return to the 13-a-side rival code.
The Roosters have now announced his recruitment for the 2013 NRL season.
"I'm looking forward to getting back out there in a game I grew up playing and put my best foot forward," said Williams, who is also part-time heavyweight boxer.
The 27-year-old admits he only left rugby union after 17 internationals with the All Blacks because of a handshake agreement he once made with Roosters chairman Nick Politis.
Williams, who is currently playing for Panasonic Wild Knights in Japan's rugby union Top League, first rose to prominence in the NRL, winning the 2004 premiership with the Canterbury Bulldogs in his rookie season.
But he controversially walked out on the club in mid-season four years later and switched to union with Toulon.
He returns to league after a five-year absence during which he won the Super Rugby championship this year with the Chiefs, and appeared at his first Roosters press conference with his arm in a sling.
It follows recent surgery on a pectoral muscle injury that forced him to postpone his scheduled heavyweight boxing match with South African veteran Francois Botha.
Williams said the injury would take another two to four months to heal but he expected to be ready for round one of the NRL season in early March.
"It was pretty tough (to come back). It's tough, but me and Nick (Politis) are good friends, good mates," he said.
"He tried to get me when I was an 18-year-old. When I made that (handshake) agreement with him I knew it would always be the case.
"This isn't a decision I have made for money - if that was the case, I would be staying with rugby union. I have signed with the club for one season so as to fulfil my pre-existing boxing commitments."
He declined to confirm whether he would be available for the Kiwis' Rugby League World Cup campaign next year, saying it could depend on his boxing commitments.
Comments
kitch says...
kybone/ preest
well said and couldnt agree more...he didnt win a rwc he was given a medal!
ive actually enjoyed watching the ABs without the side show attached.
i reckon tamati and nonu are at the very least his equals. I watched him play but was constantly left bemused at all the hype.. he done some good things but more often than not he was left found wanting for nouse and ability.
The cheifs did not win bc of him.. in my view it was the coaches, a reinvigorated forward pack, kerr-barlow who drove the pack and cruden who lead the backs. I recall one game against the hurricanes where his offloads and tactical awareness were abysmal and was actually shown up by the offloading skills of boden barret! How did he go in Japan??.. did his team win?
and dont get me started on his boxing!!..just ask bob jones
Posted 07:40 14th November 2012
hellovanite says...
what ever you think of him as a person, as a player he is out and out class
Posted 05:42 14th November 2012
KiwiJoe says...
Why play a minority game in Oz when you can be in Europe with the best team in history?
Posted 19:41 13th November 2012
davodiablo says...
As Ramage says ..back to the ABs in year . I really hope so.
Posted 16:46 13th November 2012
markpat says...
@kybone - at that time, yes, Nonu was the better player. SBW had many flaws in his game, but in his final season with the Chiefs he really improved a lot and I have no doubt became the undoubted first choice #12.
I also agree with ChiefDC that, on the current selection of players, he'll walk almost straight back into the starting #12 shirt for 2015.
The biggest pity is that he still had lots of room for improvement that he might never get the opportunity to make.
Posted 15:43 13th November 2012
kybone says...
side_stepper- Im not sure about that mate. Yes he has a world cup winners medal but when it came to the crunch and NZ had a World Cup Final to win, SBW was on the bench! Im not saying he wasn't any good of course, but it would irk me if i were him. In years to come people who never saw him play will hear about how good he was and look him up- only to find that the NZ starting team that won the world cup didn't contain him, and they'll think 'well there was obviously at least one player in his position better than he was.'
Posted 14:36 13th November 2012
Ramage says...
I hope everyone noted that he has signed for the Roosters for one year.He honours his handshake deal and he will return to NZ and rejoin the All Blacks and hopefully the Chiefs. I for one will welcome him back as he is a class player.
Posted 14:36 13th November 2012
Trader2 says...
Saw his press conference today, I admire the guy and he made it quite clear that his first love is Union, he is simply honouring a commitment made, with reward of course but that is what professional sportsman do these days, good luck to him. He will be back and available for the AB's in 2014 no doubt, if his body can standup to the whacks he is going to get from the neanderthals that play that hybrid game, there will be plenty trying you can be sure of that. Will he play hybrid for the Kiwi's who knows, but will have to watch the Aussies as they will have him in the NSW state of origin team and heh presto he will be available for the Kangaroos - lots of form there. However I think he would love to give another Union WC a go so see you in 2015 SBW and in the meantime keep ducking.
Posted 12:58 13th November 2012
Cdn_content says...
He threw away nothing, he actually was honoring a handshake agreement with the dude who got him outta the league mess. Says alot about him to me. Then he went to make obscene money in Japan and have that experience. I'm more envious than angry. But haters are gonna hate
Posted 12:47 13th November 2012
5Lock4ward says...
...and now that he's back to league can this please be the last time we have to hear about him?
Posted 12:34 13th November 2012
ChiefDC says...
No offence but i still don't think there's any current AB who's gonna provide any sort of competition to deny sbw the number 12 jersey.i can bet he's gonna be at the 2015 world cup.
Posted 11:57 13th November 2012
Scrumpoacher says...
Take QC with you please. The guy is 'toxic'
Posted 11:39 13th November 2012
ferdie says...
sirtidychris - he's the guy getting $2 million for a dozen games of rugby.
How you doin'?
Posted 10:04 13th November 2012
rugby_rockstar says...
He gets alot of stick does Sonny, but he's nowhere near as contraversal as Henson or Cooper or Cipriani, who just let themselves down off the field. Apart from walking away from the NRL to play for toulon after signing a contract. I don't think he's done anything wrong at all, and how long are we going to keep beatig him with that particular stick?
Messageboards are usually extreme right wing mediums who'll meet out the death penalty form anything that irks the contributors, so I don;t think we'll ever get a balanced point of view, but in SBW's case I think a lot of the abuse is OTT.
Posted 09:49 13th November 2012
ShamanSheep says...
@sirtidychris - that'd be Sonny Bill Williams mate.
He'll be back in union no doubt, he prefers the exposure and possibly the more expansive game. Once he's back he'll also be back in a NZ shirt and in time for the 2015 world cup too. Sometimes I think he's alright, sometimes I think he's a bit of an eejit - one thing that is unarguable is his rugby playing ability. If only Jamie Roberts had a quarter of his talent...
Posted 09:23 13th November 2012
hayj05 says...
Don't be too hard on him... he is his own man afterall & a genuinely nice guy whatever his contract history might be. Just follow him on twitter & you'll see what I mean. He's great with the fans, especially the young ones. Offering them encouragement etc.
He's quoted as saying he fell in love with union & I won't be at all suprised if he returns for the 2015 WC outside Carter.
It was quite astonishing how much he improved from when he was picked for the AB's NH tour with little experience to when he dominated in his last test against the Wallabies.
Posted 09:07 13th November 2012
sirtidychris says...
Sonny Bill Who ?
Posted 08:22 13th November 2012
Rolf says...
agh what a pity.
Sonny Bill might be a fool and will have his flashbacks one day or th eother.
But the way he intertpreted his position, his running lines, his unselfish play and his trademark offloads made him one of the great centres of his, maybe of all time.
I sure hope he comes back to union after this deal so we can enjoy (and beat) him in 2015 the latest.
Posted 08:07 13th November 2012
side_stepper says...
He came, saw, conquered (Union) and returned to League. Almost at ease..scary!
Posted 07:03 13th November 2012
Isograford says...
Hopefully will see him back in the All Blacks 12 jersey in 2014. He was the best in the position when he left, which just makes it all the sadder he's not on the current tour of Europe.
Posted 06:55 13th November 2012