Is Sonny Bill worth the money?
Columnist By Ryan O'Connell, 26 Jun 2012 Ryan O'Connell is a Roar Expert
- Tagged:
- NRL, Rugby League, Sonny Bill Williams, Sydney Roosters
346 Have your say
2,943 reads
New Zealand's All Blacks wing Sonny Bill Williams vies with Argentina's (No. 8) Leonardo Senatore. AAP Image/AFP, William West
Related coverage
Current All Black Sonny Bill Williams is reportedly returning to rugby league in 2013. While nothing has been confirmed yet, it seems Williams will sign a one year contract to join the Sydney Roosters next season.
The contract is rumoured to be in the vicinity of a million dollars.
Central to the negotiations is the fact Williams will initially have a stint in Japanese rugby union with the Panasonic club, before joining the Roosters late in pre-season. Williams will also be granted leave during the season to enter the ring in a boxing match in South Africa.
Considering his other commitments, it begs the question: is Williams worth it?
No one doubts Williams’ ability or athleticism. And there are few concerns about Williams adjusting to rugby league from rugby union. Though he’s been out of the code for awhile, he’s an absolute natural. And as any rugby fan will tell you, league is a simpler game, so it will take him little time to adapt to the nuances of rugby league.
The real concern is that you have to question Williams’ motivation if he’ll miss pre-season because he’ll be in Japan, and will also miss some time for his boxing match. Even if his absence does not affect him and his performances on the field, I wonder what message it sends to the rest of the team?
Culture is extremely important in sporting clubs, and rugby league is no different. A tight knit bond between everyone at the club, with everyone working towards the same goals and operating under the same rules, is a crucial element in building unity and cohesion.
Yet if one player is allowed to stroll in when the season is almost underway, then take another break because he wants to fight in a boxing match, it could easily create disharmony within the team.
A coach would surely find it difficult to preach about team ethos, when one player is treated differently to everyone else.
Additionally, will signing Williams to such a short term contract really be beneficial for the Roosters?
Most clubs have a long term strategy in place, with the entire club aiming to build and improve each year. It’s important that all individuals at the club feel like they’re working within a plan. Yet any speeches about having pride in the jersey or the emblem would be fairly hollow when everyone is well aware that the best player on the team is a mercenary – nothing more, nothing less.
In some respects, you can’t blame the Roosters. Sonny Bill Williams was one of the best rugby league players in the world when he left the NRL. If you have the chance to sign someone of that calibre, surely you take it?
I also don’t blame Williams for making as much money from sport as he possibly can. An athlete’s career is significantly shorter than most other professions, and you need to maximise your earnings. You never know when it will all stop, with a career-ending injury always a distinct possibility. As such, I never question an athlete who chases the coin.
However, knowing that your career could finish in the blink of an eye means that you should protect yourself. Signing a short term contract puts your long term earning potential at great risk.
Therefore, I’m not sure a one year contract benefits anyone, Williams’ wallet aside.
The Roosters receive an exceptional physical talent, but any sports follower will tell you that it takes more than talent to win a premiership. The club must be stronger than just one player.
Meanwhile, Williams risks his long term earning potential. And his already shaky legacy will hardly be boosted by him signing a short term contract. Sonny Bill has the potential to be an all-time great. But at the moment, he’s only at risk of becoming an all-time great at earning a dollar.
Again, while I don’t begrudge him that, I also don’t think being an all-time great and earning a lot of money have to appear to be so mutually exclusive.
Ryan is an ex-representative basketballer who shot too much, and a (very) medium pace bowler. He's been with The Roar as an expert since February 2011, has written for the Seven Network and NBA Down Under, and been a regular on ABC radio. Ryan tweets from @RyanOak.
Sport, all day long. Does this sound too good to be true? We're searching for a Group Sales Manager to lead our team in Sydney. If you're a sales star who doesn't mind a hit, kick, throw, or cycle, we want to hear from you. Apply now.
- Explore:
- NRL, Rugby League, Sonny Bill Williams, Sydney Roosters
June 26th 2012 @ 1:58am
Johnno said | June 26th 2012 @ 1:58am | Report comment
- A good article and i thought long and hard about this. And in reality it seems a circus act a travelling roadshow, i wonder who it helps the club long term , hence 1 year deals that SBW signs.
-I think this 1 year deal will end in tears for the roosters, and for SBW. A circus act that defies belief and rational thinking when 1 thinks about it. Here it goes look at like this doing a timeline.
-2012 SBW has a stint in Japan after a long season. Finishes in about Febuary. He will be tired.
No sports specific rugby league pre-season. The training is very different to rugby union at the elite level we are talking about.
Modern day footy training is not just laps around the oval and 20 push ups each, it is specific to the sport and position.
His body will have to readjust and he is human not a machine, no matter how disciplined his lifestyle is.
-Plus as he is re adapting his body to a rugby league 1, he is flip flopping doing elite boxing at the same time.
You’d think SBW was training for a Decathlon or Pentathlon at the Olympics:
-His body will be all over the place like a shift worker, or jet lagge after a super rugby series in STH Africa.
-His body will be all over the place to play elite sport.
-Karmichaeal Hunt and Elyse perry are examples too.
-Karmicheal Hunt started last year well in AFL. He got burned out basically his body shut down was exhausted, by the ADAPTION of having to adjust his body to 3 different sports at the elite level over 1 year.
-He had 6 months off, and then had a full AFL pre season, no rugby union, or rugby league.
And has been in good health this year.
-Elyse perry in the W-league has to choose at least by canberra united to pick.
-I just think in modern day pro sport. The attitude should be.
-Your in 100% committed to the cause, or your not. It’s simple as that. Non Negotiable, or flexible which has become a buzz word for the worse.
-No flipp flopping
-Either SBW is 100% committed to the roosters, or he is not in at all.
-It will be a waste of time, and annoy supporters of the roosters i think, and do long term damage to the club’s image, and a glamoourous club, or just a holiday cafe latte set, or flashy set, rather than hardworking people image, of being 100% committed to the cause.
-Micheal Jordan quit basketball and gave Baseball 100% commitment. You pick you stick.
-Same with all this origin eligibility stuff, and rugby league rep rules for coutnry.
In rugby it is you pick you stick . Only 1 team for life, and you can’t change your mind after. No flip flopping , . This is not the Roman Empire where a man can have 10 wives, you pick you stick for life 1 club or country, or code only.
And SBW needs to focus on 1 , no flip flopping, you pick you stick attitude.
June 26th 2012 @ 2:41am
Dogs Of War said | June 26th 2012 @ 2:41am | Report comment
Disagree with this. It’s not a big leap from Union to League, and what he adds to a team, especially if the Roosters have put themselves in a position on the table, and as a team to capitalise on what SBW can bring to as an x-factor.
This long strategy the author talks about, changes as soon as a key player gets injured. So really the only difference here is that you know that this player will not be available for a period and you taylor your strategy that way. I am sure his teamates will welcome such a player of his talents with open arms. You only have to look at what a difference Inu has made to the Bulldogs to know that one player can make a big difference to team.
I think most of you just want to argue cause it’s SBW. As for me, kudo’s to him if he is able to juggle all the different demands of each sport successfully, if not, then you can say I told you so, but let the guy have a go before you do so.
June 26th 2012 @ 8:15am
Damo said | June 26th 2012 @ 8:15am | Report comment
When Pearce is your half, I doubt the Roosters will be in a good position on the table.
Don’t forget SBW has already walked out on his teammates before. I wouldn’t want to be in the trenches with this guy. You never know where his heart is. He certainly knows where his wallet is though.
June 26th 2012 @ 10:40am
josh said | June 26th 2012 @ 10:40am | Report comment
SBW will be lucky to make it to Round 10 without an injury, and even luckier to see out the season.
June 26th 2012 @ 10:27am
Ryan O'Connell said | June 26th 2012 @ 10:27am | Report comment
Dogs, I don’t think you can plan for injuries.
And yes, Inu has made a large impact at the Dogs. But he’s also signed for the next three years.
June 26th 2012 @ 8:17pm
WoobliesFan said | June 26th 2012 @ 8:17pm | Report comment
SBW is a wasted case of athletic ability…..his only appeal is his commercial pull.
I’m glad he’s leaving rugby and I purposefully avoid matches he plays in. Not a redeeming feature to him……simply a lost cause.
Does anyone think he’s a tad overrated too?
June 28th 2012 @ 11:21am
bj said | June 28th 2012 @ 11:21am | Report comment
league should return the favour to SBW and turn our backs to him.
what is a 1 year deal worth to a club. It is either a stop gap measure until they get the recruitment they are really after or even the Roosters in this case aren’t 100% convinced of his commitment to a team environment.
it has disaster written all over it, oh well I guess Nick gets what Nick wants.
July 10th 2012 @ 10:33am
Ra said | July 10th 2012 @ 10:33am | Report comment
won’t happen bj – one year of SBW is money in the bank for any code – ya gotta know that
June 26th 2012 @ 2:43am
trakl said | June 26th 2012 @ 2:43am | Report comment
He’s a wonderful talent but, for rugby league, the magic has gone. He left a long time ago and was destined to become an all-time great – but other wonderful talents have come along while SBW’s heart lies elsewhere.
If he moves to the Roosters it will say more about the latter’s lack of vision and warped sense of culture than anything else.
June 26th 2012 @ 2:46am
Matt said | June 26th 2012 @ 2:46am | Report comment
After an intense Rugby season, including the longest ever Super Rugby competition, a test series against Ireland, Super Rugby finals, a newly expanded Rugby Championship (including trips to Argentina and South Africa), then a 12 game Japanese stint (renowned for its ridiculously intense training regimes) to then try and tack on an NRL season it frankly irresponsible. There is such a massive chance that by midway through the 2013 season SBW will be either seriously injured or mentally and physically burnt out.
If the rumours are true and he is indeed signing a one year deal with the Roosters, with a Japanese Top League stint and a pro boxing bout tacked on, then the rumour of him then wanting to return to the All Blacks for the 2015 world cup are also probably true.
For the Roosters to pay a million dollars for a burnt out player who intends to leave after one season shows how desperate they are to get back into the headlines and increase their sponsorship dollar.
Personally I don’t think it’s worth it to them to pay that kind of money, which is probably why the NZRU would have put their cards on the table and said it isn’t worth them paying SBW big money for him to be tired and underperforming like Ma’a Nonu has on his Japanese return. The fact also remains that while SBW is a very very classy athlete, it will also take him some time to readjust to League and get back to playing at his peak. He is only now starting to really show his full promise in Rugby and that has taken a lot of game time to eventuate. Time will tell, but logic suggests the Roosters are probably not going to get their money’s worth in terms of on-field performance. Off the field he’ll sell memberships though.
June 26th 2012 @ 8:00am
Nick said | June 26th 2012 @ 8:00am | Report comment
Matt, you make some very valid points. We all know he’s an exceptional athlete and has the skill set to adjust relatively quickly but it’s the mental fatigue that would be overwhelming as a result of him constantly confronting new challenges.
In December last year I was doing a run around Centennial Park and noticed Sonny doing sprints with a trainer. I ended up stopping and admiring the athlete, Khoder Nasser was on the sideline and I ended up chatting to him. He can’t stand Rugby Union and had all these warped views on rugby coaches (Graham Henry / Deans) and the code in general, it was clear he had sour grapes of Sonny justifiably not starting in the RWC…Maa Nonu was in sensational form. Nasser said he’d ideally wanted him to box full time – this guy is a creep and absolute poison for Sonny. I just wish we had a normal manager who acted responsibly for him.
Leaving cash aside (he already has enough of it anyway doesn’t he), why wouldn’t Sonny want to stay and benefit from the following:
- playing in arguably the greatest sporting team in the world vs a rubbish Roosters team
- playing higher standard Test rugby than NRL
- playing in a winning team vs a losing team with the roosters
- playing with arguably the two greatest rugby players in the world – McCaw and Carter – the latter having a extremely direct influence over his game
- playing with all the other talents in the AB’s that bring out the best in him like Aaron Cruden, Kieran Read etc etc
- being potentially one of the greatest All Blacks of all time
- playing in a highly successful team such as the chiefs, they are an extremely bright future given how young the team is
- playing in 25,000 plus crowds every week vs the 13,000 the Roosters are lucky to get
- travelling the world and playing in a GLOBAL game
- having a country (NZ) that love him, many Aussies give him a hard time due to his past
- walking away from his team mates, having to start relationships again
Bottom line is I just don’t get how the above doesn’t override the money. I blame a lot of this on Khoder.
June 26th 2012 @ 9:25am
Zippa said | June 26th 2012 @ 9:25am | Report comment
Yes I am sure the lure of living in Hamilton over Bondi Beach will see him stay in NZ. Yeah right.
June 26th 2012 @ 6:25pm
Ted Skinner said | June 26th 2012 @ 6:25pm | Report comment
Has that Hamilton based union franchise ever had a home crowd of 25K?
June 27th 2012 @ 10:02pm
D Maaga said | June 27th 2012 @ 10:02pm | Report comment
just like he chose christchurch over the south of france.
June 26th 2012 @ 9:57am
jdubya said | June 26th 2012 @ 9:57am | Report comment
You underestimate the Roosters and the NRL. If he had started in union he would not be anywhere near as well known as he is now, simple fact
June 26th 2012 @ 4:30pm
anopinion said | June 26th 2012 @ 4:30pm | Report comment
Really? Who is more well known throughout the world, Darren Lockyer or Dan Carter? Billy Slater or Kurtley Beale? Paul Gallen or Nathan Sharpe? SBW is well known around the world because of a number of factors, I doubt RL is the main reason.
June 28th 2012 @ 9:07pm
The Great G Nepia said | June 28th 2012 @ 9:07pm | Report comment
Agree there, none of the league ‘superstars’ like slater and lockyer are known outside of australia, wonderful athletes that they are though. Same goes with sonny bill. When he first turned up in france no one knew who he was and the owner of the club had never heard of rugby league. Sonny bill owes his global fame to rub union.
June 27th 2012 @ 10:04pm
D Maaga said | June 27th 2012 @ 10:04pm | Report comment
At the moment even former superleague player Chris Aston is more well known than Billy Slater.
June 28th 2012 @ 5:20pm
Crosscoder said | June 28th 2012 @ 5:20pm | Report comment
So was Ned Kelly.
June 26th 2012 @ 3:14pm
kevin mac said | June 26th 2012 @ 3:14pm | Report comment
couldn’t agree more.
who would abandon rugby union (especially playing with the best team on earth) for the crumbs of league?
it just doesn’t make sense…unless he plans on returning to union before the 2015 rwc. you never know…just look at brad thorn.
June 26th 2012 @ 8:20pm
Queensland's Game Is Rugby League said | June 26th 2012 @ 8:20pm | Report comment
When was the last time an Australian/New Zealand rugby union player travelled to North America, China, UAE, Norway, Ukraine, Germany, Greece, Egypt or India to play a Test match for their country?
“playing higher standard Test rugby than NRL”
ROTFLMAO!
99% of Test rugby players wouldn’t make it in the Queensland Cup, let alone the NRL. We all saw how hopeless Garrick Morgan and Andrew Leeds were when they tried their hand at rugby league. There are blokes running around in the FOGS A Grade who are more talented than most of the players in the current Wallabies and All Blacks teams.
June 26th 2012 @ 8:47pm
Brad said | June 26th 2012 @ 8:47pm | Report comment
Do you mean league players from union like ray price, Ricky Stuart, Michael O’Connor and Wally Lewis?
June 27th 2012 @ 7:17am
Crosscoder said | June 27th 2012 @ 7:17am | Report comment
Brad
Just to set you straight Ricky Stuart and Wally Lewis were junior rl players,and the only reason they played ru was due to their schools offering ru and not rl.
June 27th 2012 @ 7:19am
nzmate said | June 27th 2012 @ 7:19am | Report comment
haha queenslands game… maybe not test players just kids straight out of first 15 rugby in NZ High Schools. Konrad Hurrell/Roger Tuivasa Sheck… On the other side of the coin Sailor, Rogers, chambers, tahu and to a lesser extent tuquiri were average when they were in union and got shown up any number of times particularly by the all blacks outside backs (Rocokoko, muliana, tana umaga, sivivatu and others). They are completely different games and comparing the skills or traits of players of the two – which i have probably unfairly done above is rubbish. Those players mentioned above were very talented league players but were far from best on field when playing union
June 27th 2012 @ 8:25pm
Queensland's Game Is Rugby League said | June 27th 2012 @ 8:25pm | Report comment
“tana umaga”
Didn’t he play rugby league when he was a kid?
June 27th 2012 @ 10:06pm
D Maaga said | June 27th 2012 @ 10:06pm | Report comment
He played rugby union for wellington from primary school to college and league in the weekends.
July 10th 2012 @ 10:09am
Ra said | July 10th 2012 @ 10:09am | Report comment
Yes bro that’s because rugby league was banned in schools at the time. It was seen as a bro’s game played by the lower class of society. A lot of kids who chose to play league were treated badly by schools, teachers and society back in the 1960′s – 1980′s in NZ – someone really needs to do a thesis on it.
June 28th 2012 @ 4:25pm
matt h said | June 28th 2012 @ 4:25pm | Report comment
How ridiculous! Let’s face it, in Auz the best ahtletes are generally in League in QLD/NSW or AFL elsewhgere, becasue they are the top games. but there are heaps of exceptions. I don’t think Tim Horan or now Pocock would be anything other than elite. And in NZ it is obviously the other way. The elites generally play Union. It’s not hard to work out. saying anyhting else is plain silly.
July 4th 2012 @ 12:41pm
Justin2 said | July 4th 2012 @ 12:41pm | Report comment
Classic – talk abhout pulling out some pearlers.
Before Union SBW has been to Penrith and Brisbane! Wow…
July 10th 2012 @ 10:26am
Ra said | July 10th 2012 @ 10:26am | Report comment
i wish i was SBW – all those choices – but then, just how much does it really take to keep a body looking like that, just to put bums on seats, thousands if not millions of bums i must add, all over the world, in grandstands, on coaches, in bars and clubs, classrooms and playgrounds – there’s no argument – yeah I’d love to be SBW; i just don’t want to put in all that hard work, on myself, just for a bunch of couch potatoes to sprout over, but I’d do it for the millions who enjoyed the moments I shared with them, and just like SBW, because I wanted to, and could – man I wish I was SBW – good on ya son !!!
June 26th 2012 @ 4:21am
Purple Shag said | June 26th 2012 @ 4:21am | Report comment
I wonder if Ricky has rung him yet. Might be able to talk him into a blue jersey for next season.
June 26th 2012 @ 7:47am
oikee said | June 26th 2012 @ 7:47am | Report comment
Worth every penny, make no mistake, this guy will have the world watching rugby league next year. What we need to do is promote the hell out of his return, get expansion teams up and ready to go so he can become the poster boy for expansion as well. Pay him what he is worth , the AFL did it to us, payback. I would put him in Perth, mate, wait until Perth get a load of a real eleite Athlete, not these players they have running around now, but a fair dinkum superstar.
Mind you, it might be tough for Sonny in league now, we have players who are absolute monsters, like the Rex and Coaltrain, not to mention Dogzilla, these guys would rip his head off, and we also have his old sparring partner still in the game, Big Willie.
He got owned by Willie before he left last time, older and wiser i know.
Yes, worth every penny, it is up to league to grab this by the horns and turn the tables on AFL.
If i was the Roosters, i would also take a game to Perth and Maybe even Adelaide, you would get people from every where to see this superstar. I think even rugby could not do him justice like a return to league, our game would take him to a whole new level.
He has already been out of the game too long, time to come home Sonny, the family has forgiven you mate. Time for league fans to put you up where you belong.
June 26th 2012 @ 10:28am
Ryan O'Connell said | June 26th 2012 @ 10:28am | Report comment
If he signs for the Roosters, how is he going to play for a Perth team that doesn’t even exist?
June 26th 2012 @ 10:59am
oikee said | June 26th 2012 @ 10:59am | Report comment
I was talking about his next deals Ryan, if he is only signing 1 year deals, i think rugby league should sign him up to the new Perth team come 2015. So he can do abit of boxing 2014, do some promotions with danny Green and promote the Perth team. Come 2015 he will be the captain of the Perth reds, pay him what he wants, money no object, the guy is our international selling point for tv deals worldwide with the NRL.
A couple million, phhtt, tuppence money. Lets show the AFL how to do this expansion thing.
While we are at it, we should also buy one of the best Allblack backline players, just for fun. Lets have some fun with our expansion teams, this allblack guy could play for the new Brisbane team.
And while we are at it, lets buy that buddy dude from afl and stick him on the wing.
June 26th 2012 @ 1:11pm
Ryan O'Connell said | June 26th 2012 @ 1:11pm | Report comment
He signs one year contracts, and you have him playing for Perth in 2015?
June 26th 2012 @ 2:35pm
mushi said | June 26th 2012 @ 2:35pm | Report comment
Ryan you do realsie you’re talking to oikee right?
June 26th 2012 @ 7:52am
jus de couchon said | June 26th 2012 @ 7:52am | Report comment
Oikee get real. SB Williams is huge. What dont you understand about that? Hes just about to become a Giant in Rugby Union.
June 26th 2012 @ 9:00am
Crosscoder said | June 26th 2012 @ 9:00am | Report comment
Albeit a temporary one.
June 26th 2012 @ 9:05am
Zippa said | June 26th 2012 @ 9:05am | Report comment
He could also be a giant in RL the sport that he prefers, the sport he grew up playing. He has a lot of unfinished business left in RL. I am sure he would love to be a part of the Kiwis teams next year to try and defend their world cup title.
June 27th 2012 @ 10:10pm
D Maaga said | June 27th 2012 @ 10:10pm | Report comment
Maybe MoneyBill Williams will even throw in a season with Toulon after his Roosters contract expires in 2013.
June 27th 2012 @ 10:10pm
D Maaga said | June 27th 2012 @ 10:10pm | Report comment
Maybe MoneyBill Williams will even throw in a season with Toulon after his Roosters contract expires in 2013.
June 26th 2012 @ 7:53am
sheek said | June 26th 2012 @ 7:53am | Report comment
Ryan,
Good article. And I thought you basically answered your own question anyway. Answer – NO!
Sure, SBW is athletic & talented. But he’s not an 80 minute player. He is also not a team player. He should take up boxing permanently.
June 26th 2012 @ 7:54am
M.O.C. said | June 26th 2012 @ 7:54am | Report comment
Do we know where these rumors are from – is it a reliable source, because I can not fathom why SBW would want to join the Roosters – he can earn far more money playing union in Japan or France and if it is fame he is after, he will be more widely known for playing for the ABs than the Roosters.
June 26th 2012 @ 9:01am
Adrien said | June 26th 2012 @ 9:01am | Report comment
Actually i don’t think he’ll be more famous if he plays in japan or france or even for the all blacks. Sure he’ll be widely “known” around the world but he’ll never have the same media exposure than he would have if he played rugby league in Sydney. Think about it…
June 26th 2012 @ 9:36am
M.O.C. said | June 26th 2012 @ 9:36am | Report comment
Written by someone who apparently thinks that Sydney is the centre of the universe….
June 26th 2012 @ 9:39am
M.O.C. said | June 26th 2012 @ 9:39am | Report comment
Anyway Adrien, I suggested that playing in France and Japan would make him more money not make him famous. Fame is on offer worldwide with the ABs.
June 26th 2012 @ 9:54am
Adrien said | June 26th 2012 @ 9:54am | Report comment
i’m far away from sydney and never been there ! i live in france and play rugby league in toulouse.However i can tell you that even though he’ll get big money playing here, he absolutely won’t be a famous person and won’t have media exposure.
June 26th 2012 @ 12:27pm
Sledgeandhammer said | June 26th 2012 @ 12:27pm | Report comment
Sounds like sour grapes, and yes I have lived in France.
June 26th 2012 @ 3:57pm
Crosscoder said | June 26th 2012 @ 3:57pm | Report comment
No it sounds like someone who lives in France and has knowledge of the current local sporting scene.
June 26th 2012 @ 12:41pm
League fan said | June 26th 2012 @ 12:41pm | Report comment
Adrien bit off topic but do yo know anything about the proposed proffesional RL comp they are planning in France. It sounds like RL has had some tremendous growth in the last few years in France and there are some exciting times ahead.
June 26th 2012 @ 8:14pm
Adrien said | June 26th 2012 @ 8:14pm | Report comment
yes i know a few things. Charles Biétry, CEO of Al Jazeera france (it’s called BEin sport) is planning to create a new competition by associating RL clubs with soccer elite clubs (or football im not sure of what term you use) a bit like the Spanish handball clubs you know there are FCBarcelone, Real Madrid etc…
Am i understandable?
June 27th 2012 @ 10:20pm
D Maaga said | June 27th 2012 @ 10:20pm | Report comment
Adrien, If your from France then you will realised that Al Jazeera has just gave Toulon and Biarrits rugby club $1 million each and have also invested in both clubs. BEin sport brought the tv rights for nearly $2million to televise the French and Argentina test match which was played last week. Al Jazeera are also looking at setting up a world club championship between Heineken cup and Super rugby clubs.
June 27th 2012 @ 10:13pm
D Maaga said | June 27th 2012 @ 10:13pm | Report comment
He wont be famous because only 18 million French tuned in to the RWC final.
June 26th 2012 @ 10:31am
Ryan O'Connell said | June 26th 2012 @ 10:31am | Report comment
League is his first love, M.O.C, and with the Roosters allowing him to play in Japan (for another $1 million dollars), I don’t think $$ is a concern for him either
Whilst playing overseas may increase the ‘reach’ of his exposure, the frequency of exposure in rugby league would be much higher, without a doubt.
June 26th 2012 @ 10:46am
M.O.C. said | June 26th 2012 @ 10:46am | Report comment
My biggest problem with the SBW saga is that he does not seem to know what he wants – I suspect that this is due to external influences, but if he does move back to league, he will be remembered as the greatest “jack of all trades and master of none”. If the guy stuck with one sport for a decent length of time he might be a great, but at the moment he will be remembered as an “almost” – not a “never was”, but an “almost”.
June 26th 2012 @ 11:04am
oikee said | June 26th 2012 @ 11:04am | Report comment
He won a world cup with the allblacks, he cant do much more than that. That is the pinnacle.
He has been their done that, now league and boxing are his final frontiers.
June 26th 2012 @ 11:11am
M.O.C. said | June 26th 2012 @ 11:11am | Report comment
He only played a small part in that though Oikee. He also won a RL premiership with the Bulldogs, so I guess league is out too – boxing here we come.
June 26th 2012 @ 12:46pm
League fan said | June 26th 2012 @ 12:46pm | Report comment
M.O.C yes he did win an NRL premiership but he has not won squat at international level for the Kiwis. Beating the Kangaroos and winning a RL world cup is something I am sure he would love to achieve.
June 26th 2012 @ 8:06am
Andy said | June 26th 2012 @ 8:06am | Report comment
Sonny Bill is not worth the money. With the same amount of money you could probably poach or sign 2 or 3 quality junior players that could end up being better than Sonny bill.
June 26th 2012 @ 3:41pm
mushi said | June 26th 2012 @ 3:41pm | Report comment
Juniors come at about 50 to 75k I’m pretty sure you can get more than two or three
June 26th 2012 @ 8:10am
steve b said | June 26th 2012 @ 8:10am | Report comment
He can handle both,,,not sure about the rumours he is going to the roosters,,time will tell i guess…
June 26th 2012 @ 10:39am
Ryan O'Connell said | June 26th 2012 @ 10:39am | Report comment
Where there is smoke, there’s fire. And when it involves Nick Politis, it’s usually an inferno.