From a Parisian hotel room, Sonny Bill Williams once explained the financial difficulties faced by Australian bus drivers.
French bus companies pay above award, and offer flexitime he explained. Few people had ever considered this, but it made immediate sense.
Now, having fanged buses around Europe and New Zealand, SBW now seems satisfied that Australian bus operators have fallen in line with other OECD nations and as a result, will be driving for the Sydney Roosters in 2013.
It does seem odd however, that a man who so impetuously abandoned his written playing contract with the Bulldogs is returning to the NRL on nothing more than a handshake with Nick Politis.
He has now publicly stated he regrets this agreement. Whether he acts on this regret remains to be seen.
He certainly won’t be jobless in any event.
He stood out like a beacon in the first two Bledisloe Cup matches, so definite was his play. Here was the embodiment of league v union writ large on rugby’s biggest annual stage.
He was a rung above, barely exerting himself smashing through the earnest Wallaby defence, while gaily flicking offloads to any one of his bloody minded compatriots.
It was a hell of a display.
Indeed when SBW was involved it just seemed a lot cleaner. He crisply belted opponents to the ground in defence and in attack either broke through, or allowed a teammate to do so.
It was when he was involved that the rugby was at its most watchable. Between those bright spots, players of lesser skill took over and before long we were wading through custard again.
He is a loss for New Zealand and rugby itself.
Now SBW’s transferable skills give him access to options not available to others but in my view the number of athletes involved with multiple codes will increase. Why wouldn’t it?
Rugby League offers the chance to play in a league which is widely loved, played and covered and is at a phenomenal standard. Rugby on the other hand offers uncapped earnings, a lower profile, the chance to travel and play abroad as well as a legitimate World Cup.
Most careers are over by age 30 so it makes sense to cram in as much as possible. Some have even ventured into AFL, notably with mixed success, but it’s the same idea.
Until SBW (Brad Thorn excepted) most league converts struggled for involvement in the contest.
Most were wide men, who only finished off the odd back line move when they weren’t catching hypothermia. Sonny Bill had more touches than any league backs before him and ended up as the centrepiece of both the Chiefs and All Blacks.
Hard running league backs and backrowers ought to take note of the contribution SBW made to rugby so quickly and give it some real thought.
It can be fun and rewarding.
There is a way to make the Wallabies harder, faster, stronger and more aggressive. I’m talking about injecting performance enhancers.
The All Blacks did it. Now we must do it to.
kovana
Guest
Zippa, its so very easy to say something when it isnt true ey. "The whole Manu Samoa team would be first choice selections for the NSW SOO team if they were eligible."
NF
Guest
sledgeandhammer I see you done some selective comments too. This would be comments from a rah rah perspective. Union is the game played in heaven those heathens who like mungo ball should be ashamed of themselves it is such a boring '6 & kick' sport appealing to bogans. It's only a matter of time before Union in Australia kill off League once and for all through our man John O Neil. Also, since it's more international than league it's better than default. I think that the union mentality Ain't that right sledgeandhammer.
JVGO
Guest
Well, Tuquiri, Rogers, Tahu, Sailor were all wingers in league so were mainly finishers and not playmakers or really even tacklers. SBW was a forward in RL playing in the backs in RU specialising in setting up his support players. Not really comparable. ALthough i think SBW is a freak. i remember him setting up two tries in the first five minutes of his first international against England with freakish offloads.
sledgeandhammer
Guest
Haven't you heard Emric? As I have learnt from u-tube comments: NRL is the hardest, fastest, fittest sport on the planet. Rugby league players are the greatest athletes on the planet. NFL players are 'soft' because they wear pads and league players hit harder. Rugby union is boring and is only popular because of Vichy. Soccer is known as 'wendy' ball, the players are soft and fake injuries. Once the world discovers league they will be blown away.
stillmatic1
Guest
SBW and media career!!! you havent heard him speak then have you. and is is hardly a pioneer either. please learn a wee bit about sports history before claiming this. all this hype is short term nonsense that is the anti-thesis of sound business practice and will not help him one dot when he retires. remind me again how the great "brands" were made again? certainly not by being around for a mere 10 years and certainly without something substantial (ie: club) to tie the entity to. wasnt the best in league and far from the best in union and not close to being a boxer. despite a few players who jump around thinking their "brands" amount to anything worthwhile, the majority of players/clubs/businesses base themselves on loyalty and hold a long term view and this is why they are successful. we will know more about matty johns and justin marshall in the future more than the speculative qualities of oconnor/beale/cooper and sbw. professional simply DOES not mean chasing the money on some short term play and hopefully clubs start to realise this (if they are pretending to be legitimate businesses).
JVGO
Guest
Fui is a good player, but Hargreaves is terrible. Who is the other guy?
sledgeandhammer
Guest
2 BB, assume that was a joke, but try telling that some of the para military boys who man the back streets of Marseille and Paris. Think you'd be staining the pants pretty quickly. I saw the CRS destroy a few dozen rioters in a matter of minutes during a riot in Paris. Not for the feint hearted
the realist
Guest
So in other words, two Steves, both trolls, but one likes league.
the realist
Guest
And isn't it funny how many second rate rugby players have killed in league? Wagreah Hargreaves, Daniela Tuilaki, Fui Fui Moi Moi. Sorry mate, the jokes on you.
the realist
Guest
slower, softer game. Jeez you guys believe your own hype.
Zippa
Guest
The French rugby comp would be more comparable to the NSW or QLD cup than it would be to the NRL. There would be atleast 50 NRL players that could get a high paying contract in the french rugby comp yet there would be lucky to be 5 players from the french rugby comp that would get a minimum wage contract in the NRL. Anybody that thinks the French rugby comp is on par with the NRL would probably also believe in the tooth fairy or santa clause. Oops I hope I havent spoiled it for anyone.
Emric
Guest
Go Warriors. SBW is a lot of Media Hype as a rugby player he was average and improving we will never know if he was good enough to be a first line All Black let alone a All Black Great. He might become a Kiwi Great ? who knows. SBW does not have anywhere near the exposure that Dan Carter or Richie McCaw have in New Zealand nor the Rugby world.
towards 21
Roar Rookie
SBW, will not return to league. What do you thin led to the fallout between mundine and his former two best mates Khoder and $BW. Japan then off to to the USA if he defeats Botha in November, if he loses the fight they will settle for another six months of Japanese rugby. By February 2013 he will be on his way to the USA to start the rise up the money tree in boxing.
kovana
Guest
Warriors, that opinion belongs to you and most league fans... IMO.
kovana
Roar Pro
Okay Q-Girl, im going to call you out on this. Please provide the name of these 'elite clubs' with crowds under '1000' For starters im going to mention the crowd averages of the Top 14 teams from last season (2011-2012) Agen - 9701 Bayonne - 13446 Biaritz - 10258 Bordeux - 15453 Brive -9405 Castres -8341 Clermont -17052 Lyon -11584 Montpellier. -11907 USAP -12663 RM92 -15442 St Francias - 26146 Toulon - 13881 Toulouse - 20968 Not one of them under 1000 as you stated. Q-girl, if you are gonna these things please provide some proof, or dont bother posting such comments.
Steve
Guest
''When you grow up in NZ [being an All Black] is the ultimate dream'' Sonny Bill obviously considers it a pretty hollow dream though, if he's willing to give it up and move to a fairly mediocre League team, in a country where pretty much everybody hates him.
Steve
Guest
Just to back you up on this, note how SBW is playing at the highest level of Union imaginable, but when he moves to League, he has to join one of the weaker teams so he can get back up to speed.
Queensland's Game Is Rugby League
Guest
Some French "elite" rugby clubs draw as few as 1,000 people to some of their matches. More people go to Kougari Oval to see the Wynnum Manly Seagulls play in a second-tier competition.
Queensland's Game Is Rugby League
Guest
"In Australia sure, venture outside Australia Rugby is far greater." Not in PNG, Lebanon, Jacksonville and northern England.
Steve
Guest
Jeez Steve, if you're going to troll like this, can you please make your name 'Steve 2' or something? I actually think your comment is pretty funny, but I've been taking a hardline 'League=good; Union= boring stance, and we're going to confuse the heck out of people.