Sonny Bill Williams is a gentleman that any club would be lucky to have.
He convinced me of this with his generosity towards a young fan on the weekend, giving away his World Cup medal without a second thought.
That kind of display is invaluable to any sporting team. It is a ‘money can’t buy’ asset that few athletes possess and while he may have gifts on the field, I would say this is still more important.
In a world where more and more often our sporting heroes disgrace and disappoint us on a seemingly regular basis, Sonny gave most people without a heart of stone something to smile about.
He gave that fan something he will never forget, and in a singular moment showed what he was all about.
While many players in many sports give back and give much, this was above and beyond the call of duty.
It shows he is for the fans, he is for doing the right thing and representing people in a way that doesn’t look as if he is being forced, or merely doing what he is obligated but rather as a human being he just genuinely likes to make people happy.
As a fan I don’t necessarily want the best players in the world, I want them to be the best people.
Because they are people you can cheer for, the people you want to see succeed and can get behind. They remind you as a fan that you are important and that aside for the money, fame and fortune they respect why they are their and they want to share their success.
Sonny Bill Williams is at the very least something positive to write home about at a time where it forever seems easier to write something negative or critical.
He’s not perfect, he’ll always have his doubters after what he did at the Bulldogs. But at the very least he is doing his best, and that is more than you can say of plenty of athletes and plenty of other people.
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