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.
Spiro Zavos
Expert
Reasons why the Bulldogs and the NRL might want to settle for damages rather than bring on a salary cap court case are in the RL round-up in the SMH. Item one, mention was made of Ricky Stuart, Laurie Daley, Gorden Tallis and Anthony Mundine abandoned the ARL to cjoin Super Leauge. Super Leauge argued in court that the sanctity of contracts did not apply because Super League was a different competition to the ARL. Second, the Bulldogs are considering breaking their 15-year contract with the Sydney Olympic park Authority to move to Gosford, and collect the $11 million reolcation grant. What are the chances that these stories will appear in News Ltd publications.
True Tah
Guest
EC, Fatty has no credibility as a sports reporter...but to be honest the Footy Show is a mouthpiece of the NRL, and maybe they got an ultimatum to speak ill of the enemies of the NRL. As far as entertainment goes, the Footy Show doesn't quite cut it, and it seems that the people of the east coast are agreeing with me...I wonder what Fatty would do the show did get culled? If Kerry Packer was still alive, he would probably cut it on air, like he did to Doug Mulray's video show. One of the NRL's biggest assets in Sydney at least is that they have Channel 9 and the Telecrap in their corner.
El Capitan
Guest
I agree with you Mudskipper. I watched the footy show to see if they were going to speak about SBW, and all they did was take the P*ss out of him about money. Its funny how their views change. One minute he was thier star guest, now they are pulling jokes on him. The ironic thing here is that in 100yrs of RL, we are seeing players go back to Union for more money, somthing Union would not supply 100yrs ago. I don't condone what SBW did by leaving early out of a 5yr contract, but can understand his reasons why.
Harry
Guest
To threathen SBW with jail time if he doesn't do what the NSW High Court rules ,is taking the situation to a ridiculous level. Here in the West we have several policemen beaten up in the course of their duties and all the useless magistrates do is hand out suspended or community service sentences. Where is the justice? SBW should be allowed to negiotate a way out of the contract without being hit with a sledgehammer type action.
Recidivist
Guest
The real trouble with the whole SBW thing is that everyone has got a little over excited about either the expansion of Rugby or the demise of League. SBW might well have been right on his line about players being treated like "cattle" and a player should be able to leave a club and have a say in that even if the sanctity of the contract is compromised because somewhere dares leave League. Rugby still has a long way to go. it wasn't that long ago that the Wallabies back up players weren't good enough. The Western Force has worked out quite well. I liked the ARC comp because it gave some next level payers exposure. But the money wasn't there. League relies on TV rights to boos the game. The structure of the comps is different and Union can rely n ticket sales and other sponsorship without having to rely so heavily on local pay-tv rights. As long as SANZAR is working well then the overall money will support Union. League does not have that luxury. I reckon Toulon should send a cheque to the Bulldogs and enclose a wooden spoon in the envelope......
The Link
Guest
mudskipper, it was always about damages, how else were the Dogs / NRL going to get a transfer fee from Toulon? Sonny asked for 5 years, cause he was busted, this cannot be overlooked. Dogs offered 3 years. If you think SANZAR can match the money coming out of Europe then you are sorely mistaken. Rugby should put s14 on free to air and let the market decide. It rates consistently less than the NRL and AFL on PayTV.
mudskipper
Guest
So the Bulldogs will reconcile for the cash...Now that’s hilarious given their high minded stand over the kid…perhaps in the future they’ll not be so keen to create such a conflict-ridden contract with young players… 5 years is way to long for a 20 year old player to contemplate and sign… I was rather hoping it would go to court and challenge the NRL salary cap…and question the NRL business integrity...looks like Gallop may have got of lightly... The Fatty Footy Show rubbish last night aimed at SBW was again of the point and only about the cash. Such a low brow unintelligent show, it’s clearly understandable why Peter Sterling wanted not to be associated with such TV tabloid rubbish any more…The Fat mans comments were just channel nine chest beating and troublemaking…The guy is a complete twat…the panel don't want to talk about the real issues which face the players... obviously they have been told by TV9 not to enter into a open discussion about it on air… SBW just doesn’t want to be associated with a game that treats his Islander people like cattle…And well done SBW for standing up to the bullying…He won’t be the last big name to walk away for the NRL, watch Greg Inglis, he will go to rugby in 2011 if the NRL can’t get it’s house in order…Super 14 Rugby is expanding and the NRL is in decline...