Sonny Bill Williams is the walking definition of the modern athlete: A public enigma with a perfectly chiselled frame, boasting an incomprehensible pay packet.
Gone are the days of the rugged, bearded and imperfect NRL player.
Gone are the days where the players worked a trade during the day and trained with their teammates in the dwindling hours of a winters’ afternoon.
Gone are the days where high profile players play for anything less than $300k a year.
Upon the completion of the 2013 NRL Season, Williams will have pocketed a cool $2 million dollars for 12 months work.
He will compete internationally in Japanese rugby and in South Africa for a boxing title fight before returning to the Sydney Roosters. Ironically, he said this week that he was honouring a “hand shake agreement” to join the club after five years out of the game due to walking out on his contract at Canterbury-Bankstown.
2011 debutant William Hopoate quit the NRL after a successful campaign with Manly to fulfil religious commitments. Fast forward 24 months, the skilful winger will earn a reported $850k contract with the Parramatta Eels.
Hopoate will join Jarryd Hayne and Chris Sandow on contracts exceeding $400k annually.
One could only imagine the look on the faces of the NRL players of the 1980s when told a winger would earn such coin.
Former NRL superstar Israel Folau abandoned the game he loved for nothing more than the financial attractions of another sport – the on-field result nothing less than embarrassment for AFL officials.
However Folau’s signature ultimately ensured the development and construction of a new AFL club in uncharted territory : Sydney’s greater west. Personal performances have been nothing short of anti-climactic, however ‘Izzy’ has enabled previously ignorant minds to experience Aussie Rules on its quest of expansion.
The question then beckons: Are these men worthy of such an income?
Only time will tell in the instance of SBW.
However, the inevitable media hype coupled with increased gate takings will surely attract sponsors to the offices at Moore Park.
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