Sonny Bill Williams confirmed to leave New Zealand

[nickdnz]

The worst kept secret in sport has been confirmed - Sonny Bill Williams has ditched the All Blacks to take up a lucractive contract in Japan.
Williams, who burst onto the New Zealand domestic scene in 2010 before winning a World Cup winners medal with the All Blacks last year, has also been heavily linked with a return to the NRL since he first signed with the NZRU.
And at a media conference today 26-year-old Williams, flanked by mentor Wayne Smith and All Blacks' assistant coach Ian Foster, denied he has already signed with Roosters but says it is his intention to play in the NRL next year.
However after his short stint with the Panasonic club in Japan Williams, who walked away from the Bulldogs in 2008, is almost certain to play with the Sydney club.
He is expected to earn over $1.7 million for 12 games in Japan and could earn more than $600,000 with the Roosters - but with his boxing career also taking off it has the potential to rise even further.
The move to Japan - which came about because of a handshake agreement some time ago - rules Sonny Bill out of the forthcoming Rugby Championship - and leaves All Blacks coach Steve Hansen with a midfield issue.
Williams was the first choice during the three-Test series against the Irish with Ma'a Nonu struggling for form for the Blues.
He impressed during the series and would almost certainly have been one of the first names on the team-sheet come the test matches against Australia, South Africa and Argentina.
It is not known whether Sonny Bill will follow another code switcher - Brad Thorn - and return to New Zealand rugby once his Roosters contract has finished.
Williams wouldn't rule that out saying he had loved his time in New Zealand, especially with the Chiefs, but acknowledged there were a number of good players coming through.
But there will be one man smiling at the prospect of Sonny Bill's possible NRL return - Kiwis' coach Stephen Kearney is likely to have one of sport's biggest names available to him for a couple of years.

http://nz.sports.yahoo.com/rugby/ne.../sayonara-sonny-bill-williams-heads-to-japan/

One of the worst kept secrets in rugby. For me I can't help but feel that my initial reaction in 2010 was justified. He stayed, got many oppertunities that other, more loyal players didn't, won a World Cup and then left. Quickly. Despite what a success SBW has been from a marketing standpoint, I can't help but feel the NZRU really let down every player in the country by signing Sonny Bill Williams, despite him being a good prospect. I would hate it if he came back on anything other than a three year contract.

It also leaves us on a very shallow note in terms of inside centres for this Rugby Championship. All the development in the world has gone into making SBW a good player, but now he's left we have a very good inside centre in Ma'a Nonu who is very good (but 30 years old), we didn't give many chances to Luke McAlister whoes now left. Isia Toeava has gone to Japan now. We have Tim Baitman who I think is the second best inside centre in terms of form, and I genuinely rate highly, but I don't think he's going to be the next big thing at inside centre. Crotty and Willison for me are solid Super Rugby players, some seem to think they're under rated, but they don't seem to have much x-factor. From a league stand point it's a bit more exciting though. He's coming back right in time for the next Rugby League World Cup...

Some options that are avalibile include moving current players out of position. When he comes back from injury I've always thought Richard Kahui should have a spot at inside centre. He has all the skills including a decent kicking game. Would not make a bad backup to Nonu and eventually could start ahead of Nonu/Smith depending on who retires first. There is also the option of changing centres around to accomidate Robert Fruean, but he seems to have several frailties in terms of defense that need sorting out well before he's a serious option for the Rugby Championship.

 

[TRF_woosaah]

whoa didnt see that coming...

on a serious note i dont bame him chasing the money. He is a contractor really, if i was in the same position id be chasing as much money as possible, he wont be playing forever.

When he first started playing rugby I thought he wouldnt do anywhere near as well as he has. I thought he would be good, but not as good as he is now. Its a pity he is leaving as I think he has alot more to offer rugby in general. I hope he gets bored playing league and decides to come back, even though I like both codes

 

[donmcdazzle]

He has been good this year, but agree on the point that it was a relative waste of time/resources to develop this guy for the NZRU. The AB's didn't need him on or off the field. While he has been very good this year and was deservedly picked on form, he has proven to be a waste of time that like Nick said could/should have been spent elsewhere.

I hope the NZRU have learnt their lesson now finally (after the McAlister debacle and now this). Don't bend over backwards to bring guys over here; reward the ones who are already here.

Who knows who our second choice 12 is now, maybe bring in Fruean for the bench and slot Conrad Smith into 12 if needed, fairly confident he could pull that off. Bateman, Crotty and Willison aren't good enough for test footy I don't reckon.

 

[admartian]

http://nz.sports.yahoo.com/rugby/ne.../sayonara-sonny-bill-williams-heads-to-japan/

One of the worst kept secrets in rugby. For me I can't help but feel that my initial reaction in 2010 was justified. He stayed, got many oppertunities that other, more loyal players didn't, won a World Cup and then left. Quickly. Despite what a success SBW has been from a marketing standpoint, I can't help but feel the NZRU really let down every player in the country by signing Sonny Bill Williams, despite him being a good prospect. I would hate it if he came back on anything other than a three year contract.

It also leaves us on a very shallow note in terms of inside centres for this Rugby Championship. All the development in the world has gone into making SBW a good player, but now he's left we have a very good inside centre in Ma'a Nonu who is very good (but 30 years old), we didn't give many chances to Luke McAlister whoes now left. Isia Toeava has gone to Japan now. We have Tim Baitman who I think is the second best inside centre in terms of form, and I genuinely rate highly, but I don't think he's going to be the next big thing at inside centre. Crotty and Willison for me are solid Super Rugby players, some seem to think they're under rated, but they don't seem to have much x-factor. From a league stand point it's a bit more exciting though. He's coming back right in time for the next Rugby League World Cup...

Some options that are avalibile include moving current players out of position. When he comes back from injury I've always thought Richard Kahui should have a spot at inside centre. He has all the skills including a decent kicking game. Would not make a bad backup to Nonu and eventually could start ahead of Nonu/Smith depending on who retires first. There is also the option of changing centres around to accomidate Robert Fruean, but he seems to have several frailties in terms of defense that need sorting out well before he's a serious option for the Rugby Championship.

Yep - this has been my issue all along. Nothing to do with "hating" the guy.

Completely agree though, We have Bateman who's solid, and pretty much no one else. Unless they want to turn Fruean into a 12.

I don't blame him for taknig the money, just blame him/his management AND the NZRU for wasting resources and time on this guy without anything solid or the passion/determined for actually growing into one of the greats.

In this scenario, the NZRU is the girl that was promised by the douche that he'd stay and that he's doing it "for the love" of their relationship. Gets what he wants, and ups and leaves for the next hottest thing... (I'm calling it here first, SBW will have or be involved in a reality show/doco in the future to "tell his side of the story" *AHEM* cash in *AHEM*).

whoa didnt see that coming...

on a serious note i dont bame him chasing the money. He is a contractor really, if i was in the same position id be chasing as much money as possible, he wont be playing forever.

When he first started playing rugby I thought he wouldnt do anywhere near as well as he has. I thought he would be good, but not as good as he is now. Its a pity he is leaving as I think he has alot more to offer rugby in general. I hope he gets bored playing league and decides to come back, even though I like both codes

wait what? Even his biggest supporter didn't have too much confidence in his staying power.

 

[TRF_woosaah]

sorry that you couldnt pick up on my sarcasm. or that i couldnt pick up on yours

 

[Amobokoboko]

Well, glad this drama is finally over. Now he just needs to help us win the S15 ***le. And he's a living legend.
Don't know when Kahui is back from injury, but Smith/Nonu/Bateman/Fruean. I reckon Hansen will sort it out.

 

[Feicarsinn]

Well, glad this drama is finally over. Now he just needs to help us win the S15 ***le. And he's a living legend.
Don't know when Kahui is back from injury, but Smith/Nonu/Bateman/Fruean. I reckon Hansen will sort it out.

No.

 

[donmcdazzle]

No.

I think he means if he helps them win the Super15 ***le he will be a living legend in his eyes. That's how I read it anyway.

The thing I don't like is him saying he doesn't want to leave etc and that he is basically honouring a handshake deal done when he walked out on the bulldogs. Seems a bit weird he was happy to walk out on a 5 year deal he had signed and that was public knowledge, but feels obligated to fulfill a handshake deal nobody even knows about (so nobody would care if he didn't honour it). I'm sure the NZRU would have let him take a sabbatical off to Japan to earn that money and still play here (like what Nonu did), you'd have to think his global appeal would be higher in rugby than league so he could have earnt a lot sponsorship-wise.

 

[Zapphod]

No.

Oh come on I am sure he is the greatest ever in his own mind.

 

[Sam91]

On ya MBW you're a credit to the game

 

[InsaneAsylum]

[sarcasm]the all blacks are in big trouble now that their star centre wont be there for the rugby championship[/sarcasm]

 

[cyRil]

He might even get less grief off losers now too.

 

[TRF_heineken]

Wow, so there is a bigger prize in rugby in New Zealand than Playing for the All Blacks...

 

[Darwin]

No surprise at all here - it is a bit of shame to see SBW leave just as he is starting to deliver on his potential as a rugby player though.

Interesting to see that his Japanese contract rules him out of the the AB's for the Rugby Championship. Nonu will obviously start at 12 during the Rugby Championship now, but it will be interesting to see who is seen as his primary backup. Despite not having a huge amount of experience at 12 I can't help but feel Kahui would have been a solid backup option if he was fit, as would Toeava if he wasn't injured/leaving. Outside of Nonu and SBW there are no obvious standout 12's in NZ rugby at the moment so I wouldn't expect to see any new midfielders added - I'd imagine Ellison will be the primary backup, with Carter and Ben Smith also able to play 12 if required...

 

[ACT1NUP]

Shame SBW will only ever be known as a good rugby player, a pretty good league player and an average boxer. Glad to see him go to league (eventually), the Kiwis need him more than the ABs do.

 

[Sam Owen]

Good on Sonny I say, hes got himself a good deal with the Japanese club and looks set to return to League. I cant wait like so many others.

Its great to hear the players like Dan Carter and so many others all gutted to see him go and expressing that. I guess SBW is for the actual rugby players that play 'cos I feel the same as DC and co. and those who dont like him are the couch potatoes who we can be thankful have noting to do with coaching any major Super franchises.

 

[Gavin]

Something tells me that the All Black coaches knew about him leaving which is why Nonu didn't get any game-time during the tests against Ireland. Perhaps is it not we will see a Cruden-Carter-Smith/Nonu combination?

 

[welshglory]

Shame. I've really enjoyed watching him play, such a flair player. If only Roberts and Davies could learn to pass the ball and offload like SBW can...

 

[Aedaphon]

Great player and deservedly took the 12 shirt from Nonu and kept it.

It is a shame to see him leave but he is and has always been a dual coder. Almost indisputably the form 12 in world rugby right now and he's not shamed the black jersey on or off the field (re: nude, drunken brawls) so I don't see why people take such an issue with him.

 

[welshglory]

I find it strange though that he's gone to rugby lite. He probably would have got a similar deal in France with Toulon.

Maybe he just enjoys league more, that's what the rumours have been anyway.