Morley would welcome SBW to Roosters
By AAP, 19 Jan 2012 AAP is a Roar Pro
- Tagged:
- Adrian Morley, NRL, Rugby League, Sonny Bill Williams, Sydney Roosters
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Former Sydney Roosters enforcer Adrian Morley has endorsed his old NRL club’s pursuit of code hopper Sonny Bill Williams.
The star’s possible return in 2013 from rugby union has Roosters fans and rugby league followers divided.
But Morley, who is in Sydney with his UK Super League club Warrington, thinks it would be great to see Williams back in rugby league.
Williams controversially walked out on Canterbury mid-season in 2008, joining French rugby club Toulon.
“It’s fantastic that A – he (would be) back in rugby league and B – he (would be) playing for the Roosters,” said Morley, who played in the 2004 grand final loss to Williams’ Bulldogs.
“Being one of my old clubs I like to see them do well and if it’s the case that he is coming back then it’s a double positive for me.
“Having him back in the code is a huge shot in the arm for the game … he’s a terrific player, a real match winner and he’d be great at the Roosters.”
A thumbs up from Morley carries weight with Roosters fans.
Feared by opponents and loved by his team-mates, the 34-year-old Englishman terrorised the NRL from 2001 to 2006 with his bone-jarring hits.
He was part of the Roosters’ drought-breaking 2002 premiership side and is part of the club’s folklore for his square-up hit on Warriors prop Richard Villasanti in that game.
When he did pull off a big hit, Roosters fans could be heard chanting his name.
And they still do when someone pulls off a special hit.
In the final round last year, Roosters forward Lama Tasi produced such a hit that fans thought it worthy of the Morley chant when he decked Melbourne’s Adam Woolnough.
Morley had no idea that Roosters fans still chanted his name and was emotional to hear about it.
“That’s absolutely incredible … I’m really proud,” he said.
“It’s the first I’ve heard of that … to still be thought of like that after leaving so many years ago is incredible. It’s very touching and it’s made my day.”
Morley, who said he would more than likely retire at the end of the year, will play on Saturday week for Warrington in a trial against Roosters’ bitter rivals South Sydney.
“When I played in the World Cup I thought that would be my last game on Aussie soil but now I’ve got another chance and it just so happens it’s the old enemy Souths … I’m looking forward to it,” he said.
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The Crowd Says (4) | Page 1 of Comments
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January 19th 2012 @ 11:09am
King of the Gorgonites said | January 19th 2012 @ 11:09am | Report comment
SBW is a joke and overated. end of.
January 19th 2012 @ 11:26am
Crosscoder said | January 19th 2012 @ 11:26am | Report comment
I will have this “joke”of a player in my team anytime,despite his past trangression.
January 19th 2012 @ 11:52am
King of the Gorgonites said | January 19th 2012 @ 11:52am | Report comment
Considering he is injured most of the time, takes every second week off to box convicts and drunks, refuses to socialise with team mates, and is proned to errors, that would not be a wise move CC. With thinking like that, i see how your beloved Sharks are in the position they currently find themselves!
January 19th 2012 @ 2:28pm
Crosscoder said | January 19th 2012 @ 2:28pm | Report comment
The Sharks position is due to financials and bad choice or hasty choice of coaches.They would not have the money for SBW in the first place.
They were the club that introduced the likes of ET,Steve Rogers .Mat Rogers to the rugby league world
He may have been prone to errors in union,but would be less so in a game with which he is familiar.
Boxing 2nd raters didn’t stop the NZRU S15 club from signing him.BTW Q. Cooper is prone to errors.