Steve Price won’t get excited about Sonny Bill Williams’ mooted return to the NRL until he hears his former Bulldogs teammate pledge his desire for a comeback to the 13-man code.
Williams, who is off contract at French rugby club Toulon in May, has attracted interest from the All Blacks, the New Zealand Warriors and Newcastle Knights.
But Price said there were plenty of hurdles to jump before Williams could be cleared for a return to the NRL.
Warriors chief executive Wayne Scurrah has indicated the club will make a bid for Williams but Price said the players haven’t spoken at length about it.
Scurrah admits the Warriors are at long odds to sign Williams, even if the Bulldogs agreed to a deal to release the 24-year-old from a clause preventing him playing for another NRL club before 2013.
“I haven’t heard Sonny say anything,” said Warriors veteran prop Price.
“Unless you hear him say he wants to come back to the NRL, I don’t think you can get too excited about it.
“But Wayne has asked the question and you can’t get an answer unless you ask some questions.
“I think a lot of things need to happen before it goes any further.
“If he does come back it’ll be good for the game.
“If he can recreate the type of form he had before he left, I’m sure everyone will be pretty excited.”
Williams walked out on the Bulldogs in August 2008 to join Toulon on a deal reportedly worth $1.5 million a season. He’d be forced to take a hefty pay cut to play in the NRL again.
“He’s been over in France where there’s no salary cap and he’s paid euros,” Price pointed out.
“He might be coming back to New Zealand dollars, which is not that strong against the euro.
“There’d be a fair bit of hype if he did come back to the NRL but a lot of things have to happen before then.
“I think the only person you can find out from is Sonny, not (Bulldogs chief executive) Todd Greenberg or his manager.”
Price concedes many Bulldogs fans will be angry to see Williams play in the NRL but said enough water had gone under the bridge.
“I’m sure if he had his time over again, he would’ve done it differently,” said Price.
“I was disappointed with what happened because I liked playing with him as a teammate and he was a tough opponent to play against.
“I was very sad to see him leaving the game I love.”
oikee
Guest
Scott, rugby league has got to stop hiring people who have no idea how to do the jobs they are assigned to, i am still rolling around on the floor to hear that Mario has the roll of ? whatever it is he does. :) But this is rugby league, this is how it is run, this is why it is not a worldwide watched sport. This needs to change. The game has outgrown the Dinosaurs, think about that, it really has, the game is growing faster than these dinosaurs can crawl, its exploding in popularity. And we have Gallop there trying to juggle this super tanker. ?
Rod
Roar Guru
So if you can't back up your ridiculous claims, why make them in the first place? Funny how it has to be a WC too, get some figures for their last game against 1 of their rivals, it'll tell the story.
Dave
Guest
You will have to wait for the next rugby world cup for your figures Rod. Its been a while since the All Blakcs were on FTA TV.
Rod
Roar Guru
Sorry, I should add, the population of Sydney is bigger than NZ simply because there's more Kiwis out here than over there. hehe Bondi centre link does a hellava trade aye Dave? :) Figures would be nice mate!
Rod
Roar Guru
Dave, put the Allblacks figures in mate, and I'll go get the Kangaroos :)
Rod
Roar Guru
BS, I can get TV ratings now that show this to be a lie. The top S14 games get just over 200k in NZ, under 100k in Australia, the Kangaroos get that in Victoria alone nevermind the heartlands. You can post all the garbage you like dave,but saying the All blacks get more people watching them in NZ compared to the Aussies watching the Kangaroos in Australia is plain rot. For a start, the population of sydney alone is bigger than NZ.
Dave
Guest
I think you will find that rugby union in Australia is more closer to rugby league than rugby league is in NZ to rugby union oikee. More people watch the All Blacks in NZ on free to air TV than the Kangaroo's on FTA TV in Australia. Thats how big rugby union is to NZ.
ScottWoodward.me
Roar Guru
Dave Dean Bell was a fine player but as a recruitment manager he has no idea, and I agree with Oikee about Cleary also.
allblackfan
Guest
He has no choice but to crack the S15 first. The AB coaches have been talking to him in the last month or two. If SBW wants to have a crack at the ABs, he has to come home now and play domestic footy
Steve Kaless
Roar Guru
I think is Price is quiet rightly pouring cold water on things and playing down the beat up.
True Tah
Guest
"Williams, who is off contract at French rugby club Toulon in May, has attracted interest from the All Blacks" First Ive heard of that...maybe he should consider cracking a Super squad first.
JF
Guest
Oikee - the epitome of the delusional RL supporter.
Onceinawhile
Guest
Your'e funny Oikee...........misguided, but funny
Dogs Of War
Roar Guru
I agree that his impact would be good for the game, especially considering the work going on via the SPARC review. Hopefully the Dogs can just leave the compensation part of the deal alone, and think of the bigger picture and how it can help League in NZ (which in turn benefits all the clubs)
oikee
Guest
Dave, life does not revolve around NZ rugby league. As you can tell by the Australian press, everything revolves around rugby league here in Australia. We have 16 clubs, and 1 happens to be from NZ, if you cant make ago of it without worrying about sonny. you may never succeed. Forget your all-blacks, forget about union , rugby league rules mate in Australia. Behind AFL, which makes union look like a school boys comp in crowd numbers, union aint all that big mate. Without there international game, the code would be dead in OZ. And even the international games are starting to get on the nose here in OZ. Australians live, breath, and love rugby league, yes thats right, its a little like New Zealands love for the All-balcks, but convert that to rugby league, times it by 5, thats how much league leaves union for dead in Australia. :) As far as aussies are concerned, union is finished this week-end, league is back on. I am sorry, but its a fact of life. The 1st thing the Warriors need to do, is run last so they can get rid of Cleary, and bring back Bluey.
Dave
Guest
DEAN Bell was the inaugural captain of the Warriors and remains a respected figure at the club, where he acts as recruitment manager. Arguably, no one is better placed than Bell to describe the impact Sonny Bill Williams would have on a sport which fights a daily battle with rugby union for the hearts and minds of supporters across the Tasman. "Huge, let's not beat around the bush," Bell said. "It would be a massive boost not only for the club, but I also think the NRL. People don't sit on the fence with him -- they either love or hate him. "There's no denying the attraction of having a player like him back in the game. He's up there with the best athletes I have ever come across. "It would have a tremendous impact on the profile of the game over here. It would be a massive coup, not only for the Warriors but for the New Zealand rugby league. We're in competition with them (rugby union)." http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/sport/warriors-dream-of-bringing-sbw-home/story-e6frg7mf-1225838892622 He's the biggest name in rugby league history in NZ even if he's playing the other code.
oikee
Guest
OH, let me start, Pricey, if you are involved in the game after you retire, please let it be in a position where you dont have to make decisions. :) Your bigger than that mate, come-on. Look, if SBW wanted to come back to the game, like you said, let him tell us, and even then, i think he should return to the Bulldogs with a apology to the club and fans. Apart from this, and anything less, i dont really care what he does. He is a forgotten man, every time his contract is about to be renewed by union, are we going to hear these silly stories. ? Dont get involved, your worth more to the game than SBWilliams ever will be, you have morals, i hope. Besides, he has 3 years to wait before he can come back to the NRL for any club, if he wants to come back, let him wait. I honestly dont think he will come back, but i wont be grwoing old waiting for him either.