Sonny Bill Williams set for rugby return

Love watching him play. Tacklers go low and he peels off metres/breaks the line. Tacklers go high and it frees his arms for offloads.

Great players can make a transition especially backs from either code!! How many great back line players have jumped from union to league hardly any!! I'm pretty sure players like Habanna, Howlett, Mortlock, Savea, Adam Ashley Cooper, O'Driscol, Dagg, Nonu, Jonah Lomu etc could easily kill it in Rugby League. So to state that only Rugby League players can make can make the transition seriously you must be on drugs??.. There is no doubt some of the League players have made their mark in union at the same time they have also been carved up pretty easily by players I have mentioned. To many Rugby league supporters especially in Sydney overate Rugby league players just because many of them have transitioned well into union. Remember Graig Gower Panthers great fomer Kangaroos & Benji Mashall Former Kiwi Skipper both regarded at one stage one of the best ever in league they both found out how difficult playing in half's in union could be. Benji couldn't cut it and simply said he wasn't good enough no excuses there!! I've played both league & union regardless what code you perfer if you are a good player you will excel in both codes but from my playing experience union focused a lot more in regards of variety in skill sets & enhancing your kicking & passing game alot more as it was more of a requirement during the game. So if I was to say which of the two codes I found harder it would be union because it's more a complex game than league. I played in the centres in both codes league pretty much was dummy half running and general support play it really was like playing touch except brutal tackling. In terms of endurance I would lean more towards league physicality both the same you still get smashed!! Peace.

You missed the thread of Steve Hansen requesting an exemption from NZRU to take SBW on the EOYT? The contract SBW signed with NZRU, as announced Dec 2013, was for 2015-16. Steve Tew: "We are delighted to have agreed terms, which will see him return to rugby in 2015." It was Hansen who wants him for the November tour.

even if it is 100% due to Adidas, the fact remains that SBW can play at a level many aspire to. that is the attraction of the guy. When he came into super rugger and started the backhand offload , every one was trying to do it. Now people look at players who cant off load and say theu shud not be in the team LOL. ( its like the DillScoop. the purists thought Dilshan was bonkers to take the risk of getting a ball in his face, simply to hit it to the one place where there was no fielder. so many were against the shot. after one year , even kids are trying to do it and some stupid Pom even tried to do it to Malinga with little success !!! ) There is nothing wrong in getting into merchandizing and money making if it benefits both team and brand. The richest football club in the world makes a hell of a lot of money from T shirt sales (Manchester United).

He really should ditch the boxing if he's serious about the world cup.

I don't buy into the conspiracy. Hansen has seen first hand what SBW brings to the table and he's been playing at a high standard in league. Seems a no-brainer to me.

Space or lack of isn't an issue for SBW's skill set. His major weapon is the offload.

No-one's going to remember a guy who played for NZ in two codes, won a world cup (and maybe two), super rugby title and NRL title?

SBW knows if he wants to unseat nonu he really needs to make inroads this year. if he leaves it till next year nonu will be selected as the incumbent and then they wont want to make changes unless they have to to keep stability.

I agree with you that he has been picked for the spring tour but how much of that is because of the sponsors, Adidas?

duncan Agreed a fighter like Alex Leapai would crush him,as would Joseph Parker. Leapai despite getting thrashed, went 5 rounds with Wladimir Klitschko. SBW would be lucky to last 1 round with Klitschko.

Im glad hes back. Very good player.

And mat ridge

Here we go again! Lewis grew up playing league since he was a toddler. And never stopped playing it until he retired. Mark Ella, Campo, Horan, Lomu etc all played league for years before union. And SBW was in the French rugby Dream Team in the centres after his first full season. Why can't we just try to enjoy him playing and forget all the usual nonsense that surrounds his every move?

Andrew Walker played league before union.

Can someone please explain to me why he wants to to reinvent his boxing career when in his last bought he almost got stitched up by an overweight, drugged up has been at the end of his career . My mind boggles at the idiocy of the idea when his boxing technique is minimal at best and if he fights someone decent he's going to get badly hurt

Plenty more union players have starred in league than vice versa - Andrew Walker, Andrew Leeds, Scott Quinnell, Rex Mossop, Daly Messenger, Konrad Hurrell, Roger Tuivasa Shek, Warea Hargreaves, Fui Fui Moi Moi, Sisa Waqa, Michael O'Connor to name just a few..

he is already selected for november tour (provided physically fit). now it will be hard for him ; when he first came in not many knew what he could do or what to expect. it's like all the "mystry spinners" in cricket. they come in and take a bucket load of wickets ; then there are videos and evryone figures out what to do (well almost evryone). Folau in his first year had space. now it is closed out. LeRaux in his first year had space. Now he has none. If SBW can reinvent himself like Nonu did , he would be good for the team. his size and speed will always be an advantage , but then guys like Fekitoa and even Kahui are very skilled , so....

Yeah good on you Sony Bill. Lets see what you have got again. But I think we need you less and less. There are already plenty of tricks in the bag already. But if he can make the squad he will be a useful addition in many many ways. Good to see that humbleness shining through starting asap at the bottom again. Good attitude.

@ nickoldschool: actually it will interest roarers of the 3nations :D " According to a report in the French press, All Black centre Ma'a Nonu is on the verge of signing a deal with Toulon for after the World Cup. The 32-year-old is currently sidelined with a broken arm and is unlikely to play again before next year's Super Rugby season. The 2011 World Cup-winner was rumoured to have been close to signing with Clermont Auvergne last season, only to opt to stay in New Zealand with the view to playing in next year's global showpiece in England. Monday's Midi Olympique now claims that Toulon are close to finalising a two-year deal with the Test veteran. The reigning French and European champions are also reported to be lining up Springbok loose forward Willem Alberts and Wallaby full-back Israel Folau. "