Sonny Bill Williams has been selected in the Rugby League World Cup squad for the New Zealand Kiwis, despite earlier declaring his intention to miss the tournament, and New Zealand subsequently naming a 24-man squad without him.
However, overnight Williams announced that he would now be available to be selected.
The backflip meant that New Zealand would need to consider drafting Williams into the squad at the expense of another player, which they did, with the Melbourne Storm’s Tohu Harris the unlucky player.
Though the decision to select Sonny Bill and drop Harris will no doubt cause a stir – and already has – I think it’s the right move.
In fact, the expected controversy will be a storm in a teacup.
The simple fact is that an elite-level player – if not the best rugby league player in the world – suddenly became available for selection. Regardless of the circumstances, it’s an absolute no-brainer to select a player of that level of ability and talent.
I certainly feel for Harris, but he was dropped for a far superior player. Talent wins out. That’s life.
The Storm youngster was naturally disappointed to have been dropped, but what would you expect? For him to be happy?
Show me a player that is happy when he’s dropped from his national team, and I’ll show you a player who should never represent his country again.
There has already been a chorus of discord about the decision to include Williams in the team, with many believing coach Stephen Kearney and the selectors should have told Sonny Bill that he was too late, and that the team had been chosen.
In fact, New Zealand selector Richie Barnett said Williams had disrespected the New Zealand team with his backflip, while Kearney said he and the selectors faced a ‘tough decision’.
Absolute rubbish on both counts, as evidenced by the fact they quickly selected him once he made himself available. Williams hadn’t disrespected the team, nor was it a tough decision. Rather, Williams simply changed his mind, and as soon as he did, it was the easiest decision in the world to select him.
For those that want to play the ‘culture’ card and suggest this sends the wrong message, what exactly is that ‘wrong message’? That talent is important in winning football games, and when you have a chance to select one of the best players in the world, it makes sense to do it? That’s a bad message?
Are people seriously suggesting that being overly-accommodating to elite players is bad for culture? By that rationale, should elite level players be paid the same salary as inferior players?
Please, sports teams have been ‘bending over backwards’ for great athletes for years. This is nothing new, nor anything bad, if handled properly.
It’s a fact of life that if you’re great at something, you get treated differently. It happens in the real world as well – there is a reason your boss is paid more than you.
In any case, all season long we’ve heard about the impact that Williams has had off the field at the Sydney Roosters. How he has brought a new level of professionalism to the club. How he is the ultimate teammate. Combined with his on-field exploits, that sounds like an individual who might actually be good for culture, doesn’t it?
Yes, Williams should have declared himself available before the team was selected. Yes, he’s therefore been slightly selfish. That hardly puts him on an island of one when talking about professional athletes. On the ranking of rugby league player atrocities, this is about a ‘1’, so let’s keep it in perspective.
Considering how polarising Sonny Bill Williams is, it’s not surprising that people are taking this chance to have potshots at him.
However, the New Zealand Kiwis are extremely better off for having Sonny Bill in the squad, and in a results-driven industry, that’s all that really matters.
ross
Guest
if you were the coach who would you select SBW or Harris it's a no brainer SBW
Damien
Roar Guru
OB, You may have a point but that doesn't gloss over the fact that the AB's broke the strictest selection policy they have to get SBW to play. Apparently the AB's can field a 4th choice 10 for the RWC final but they can't do the same in a RC game against a team that they regularly beat ? The AB's are about winning and breaking that policy was in accordance with that..
Don
Roar Rookie
I think SBW was more critical to the Roosters than you credit him. Gee he even played a couple of outstanding games as the 5/8 when Maloney was on SOO duty. I'm not his fan but he shut me up this year.
Dan
Guest
You forgot Roosters fans keen to see signs he'll stay at the club and want to track his WC progress. With 4 Roosters in the Kiwis we'll be hoping to see them do well against the English and - to extent - the Kangaroos.
Ryan O'Connell
Expert
I don't think your second and third paragraphs are mutually exclusive though. Not that I necessarily agree, but the very reason why the negative impact of dropping any of those players may be greater than dropping SBW may be because their teams are weaker than the Roosters in the first place. That doesn't make SBW an inferior player, just less important than say, Thurston, to his team. I also think Maloney hit a high peak because of SBW, but that's another story. . . As for your Queensland comment, 6 of the 10 are Maroons! And of the 4 Blues, one does't want to play, and one doesn't get picked!
WoobliesFan
Guest
Rebuttal move accepted: The negative impact of dropping any of those top ten from their respective team is greater than dropping SBW. Let's not forget that SBW's move to the Roosters coincided with some good players hitting high peaks (e.g. Maloney) and other very good players coming onboard (Jennings). Indeed, the NRL, Nick Politis and Khoder Nasser all conspired to make sure he went to a team that was already loaded. Beautifully staged comeback if you ask me…..with some creative and cloaked accounting to boot. They stripped a title and two from Melbourne for this same rubbish. BTW, had those two blatant forward passes not have been intentionally ignored, we wouldn’t be talking about SBW at all or the Roosters. ** End Rebuttal Btw, those clear 4 are all QLDer's......NSW are going to have to bring it this next year Ryan.
Don
Roar Rookie
Cam Smith JT Inglis SBW Gallen (this one hurst me to say) DCE S Burgess Lyon Cronk Carney I don't think Billy showed enough to keep him in the top 10 anymore. Hopefully he turns that around in 2014.
WQ
Guest
Clearly a great outcome for SBW and his fans of which I am one of them. I just hope that he does not push the NZRU to hard because they clearly will have other options. I would love nothing more than to see him in the All Black squad at the RWC2015. I think we were just about to see the best of him as a 12 in the All Black Jersey!
Ryan O'Connell
Expert
I really don't want to get into a fight about nothing, OB! We're dealing in semantics, I think. I only used the word 'desperate' because that was the context of the conversation above. Regardless of the circumstances, both codes would love to have SBW. Would league love (need?) him more? I don't doubt that at all. I just don't understand why they should be ashamed of feeling that way. They should be desperate to have SBW!
Old Bugger
Guest
RC Just a response to Damien's earlier comments. I think from memory that you both will find the NZRU and AB coaching panel had already agreed to release SBW from any further commitments to allow him to go to Japan. It was only when injuries and suspensions (I think) placed them in an unenviable position to seek a delay to his Japan start date. If not for those issues, SBW would've gone with NZRU/AB blessing. It was a distress call for a distressing time (for me as an AB fan anyway). I didn't have a problem with NZRU/AB's making the call then - still don't, but if that's desperate in your opinion, that's your choice. The extenuating circumstances that occured tell me it was just pragmatic.....
Old Bugger
Guest
WQ Currently, the NZRU are not pushing SBW to decide on their offer they've made and have already announced that they have no concerns if he elects to play RLWC. Stands to reason that until he responds to the NZRU offer, then he is now a free agent since his Roosters contract ceased when the season ended. The IRLB have also given their approval for him to play RLWC without a current RL contract - so its a win/win situation for SBW as long he decides on the NZRU offer, as soon as RLWC finishes and without delay.
Ryan O'Connell
Expert
To quote from Damien in an earlier comment: "Not many people want to remember that SBW was the first AB to get selected while contracted to an overseas club. Last year at the start of the RC the AB’s contacted Panasonic to ask them to release SBW for 3 weeks or something close to that. It got pretty intense because Panasonic told the AB’s that they would have to take out insurance on SBW just in case of an injury so that Panasonic’ investment was safe. The AB’s agreed and sorted out the paperwork so that SBW could play. The AB’s didn’t break their own policy because they liked SBW. They broke it because it was in their best interests." Does that not imply a level of desperateness? Not that I have an issue with that, I think both codes should be desperate to sign him or have him play in their World Cups.
Ryan O'Connell
Expert
That would be amazing, Willie.
eagleJack
Guest
The NZRU are fighting tooth and nail to get him back. Some would associate that with being desperate. Shows the class of the player he is as the ABs aren't short of talent.
Damien
Roar Guru
The whole boxing thing is complicated due to his footy commitments and is probably too big a topic to discuss in this article. However with SBW's history in the sport (of serious lack thereof) he has fought far better fighters than many full time boxers at the same point in their boxing education and career. Look at Joseph Parker's (NZ HW Boxer) opponent's. Parker has been raised on boxing, had an extensive amateur career and IMO has the talent to be a World HW Champ yet he has still fought deadbeats. SBW has only really dabbled in the sport on and off for the last 5 years due to his footy and has had no boxing background so his boxing education is really at the novice stage yet his opponent's are much better than Parker's. They share Botha as their latest opponent. Parker fights tonight and will easily win IMO. I must add though that at this point Parker is a vastly superior boxer and would easily beat SBW. However who knows what the landscape would look like in 4 - 5 years time when SBW has had more time to learn the sweet science.
Zero Gain
Guest
No, he won't. Who are they going to drop? Nonu? Smith? No way. He will be in the squad but not in the run on team.
Zero Gain
Guest
No, the point is that you said they were 'desperate' and they are not. Yes, of course they want him but they are not despeeate like the league is.
zug
Guest
Oh and 5 compeitive teams provides depth to 4 pools where league only can only manage 2 good pools
zug
Guest
That is no different to league in lebanon, who failed to qualify for this league wc. But both romania and lebanon are minows ie each code. Which was the original point - there are only a handful of truely competitive nations in rl and ru. The RUWC is better because there are 5 competitive sides vs RLWC having 3. League has good prelims and final. Union quarter finals onward hold interest.
zug
Guest
The worlds first rugby world cup. Stollen and lost for 20 years. Found in a ditch. Donated to rl by the french rl at a 1954 value of 8 million francs. You couldn't make a story like that up. Great cup, i think it just needs a name.