Sonny Bill Williams’ new French rugby union club will seek a financial settlement with his former Sydney rugby league club to end the controversy over his decision to switch codes.
The runaway Canterbury Bulldogs star was pulled at the last minute from Toulon’s starting line up in a pre-season friendly match today against last season’s Top 14 champions Toulouse.
Williams had been meant to line up in the centres for Toulon at their home ground on the Cote d’Azur but was instead forced to watched his side lose 19-12 from the stands alongside boxing champion and mate Anthony Mundine.
The decision to leave Williams out of the team came after the NSW Supreme Court extended an injunction sought by the Bulldogs and NRL to ban Williams from playing for Toulon.
If the 23-year-old had played, he risked being found in contempt of court as well as possible arrest, a jail sentence and the seizure of his Australian assets, including his $1 million Sydney home.
Toulon club president Mourad Boudjellal said a decision was taken not to play Williams against Toulouse so as not to “inflame the situation”.
“A financial settlement is going to be found at the beginning of next week,” he told reporters.
Bulldogs chief executive Todd Greenberg hinted in Sydney this week that a financial settlement may be the only resolution to the matter.
“Potentially down the track that’s where it might head,” he said.
“I think we’ve got some time to go before we get to that though, I think we’ve got to stick solid with the sanctity of the contract.”
Toulon’s offer comes less than a week after Mourad refused to acknowledge the NSW Supreme Court order banning his star recruit from playing.
Williams’ no show in the game disappointed Toulon’s fans in the 10,000-strong crowd.
“We were a bit disappointed,” said Cyril Benamu, who helps run the club’s online supporters’ forum Les Fadas.
“We were looking forward to seeing him play. Toulouse used their best players against us.”
While Williams failed to make an appearance on the field, Toulon’s newly signed former Wallaby Matt Henjak featured in the second half of the match.
Williams, who left the Bulldogs last month despite having four years left on his contract, made his debut for Toulon last weekend in the club’s first pre-season friendly against second tier team Carqueiranne-Hyeres.
However his new career got off to a shaky start, being yellow-carded in the third quarter of the game after he put one of his trademark shoulder charges – illegal in union – on an opponent.
Williams joined Toulon on a one-year contract, with an option of a second, in a deal reportedly worth about $2 million.
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