- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
Channel Nine in all their wisdom interviewed Sonny Bill Williams at the half time break of last Wednesday’s State of Origin clash, and the you-know-what hit the fan. Blood was spilled, riots broke out, and Channel 9 CEO David Gyngell needed police protection.
Ok, the last sentence is a tiny bit false, but the reaction to Sonny Bill’s interview was extremely strong in traditional rugby league heartland.
You may remember that after signing a multi-year deal to stay with Canterbury, Williams then walked out on the club and joined French Rugby Union side Toulon.
He has since then found his way back to New Zealand where he plays for the Crusaders in Super Rugby, and hopefully for the All Blacks at the Rugby World Cup.
Mr. Williams happened to be in Brisbane for the Super Rugby final and Channel Nine (the new rugby union broadcasters) smelt a cross-promotion opportunity.
The rest, as they say, is history, but it seems to me that the reaction to the interview was grossly over the top from supporters of the game.
Yes, Sonny Bill left the game for money, and yes, it angered all stakeholders in rugby league, but he left the game three years ago.
In that time, league has shown how much it really needed Williams.
Crowds and TV audiences are up, more sponsors are putting money into NRL clubs, and the standard of the game has increased dramatically.
Losing Williams has not stopped the NRL train from building up momentum.
What I have seen in the wake of this interview is the pettiness and resentment still harboured by NRL stakeholders and the blinkered approach of stakeholders.
People have not forgiven Sonny Bill for walking out and that is just petty. He has gone and he isn’t coming back for a while. It is time for everyone to build a bridge and get over it.
Fans resembled an boyfriend or girlfriend who cannot move on from a separation. This will blinker the game if it carries on like this.
Also fans should remember that Channel Nine is a business that has more than just NRL to promote. All other networks including Fox Sports cross-promote sporting events to build up interest and ratings.
If Sonny Bill was interviewed by Channel Nine, so what?
Fans and the media, not Channel Nine and Sonny Bill, made his interview a big deal that overshadowed Darren Lockyer’s final Queensland match.
Everyone needs to take a deep breath and move on for the benefit of rugby league.
Reckon you can pick the winning team? Build your own dream team with Draftstars daily fantasy and compete on any match. For great odds on the NRL head on over to PlayUp. Imagine what you could be buying instead. Set a deposit limit.