Sonny Bill to be a Sader
23 Jun 2010
According to the Australasian media, Sonny Bill Williams will represent Canterbury in the New Zealand Cup and the Crusaders in next year’s Super 15.
New Zealand’s rugby sensation Williams, who turned down a reported $6 million contract with French club Toulon to fight for a spot in the All Blacks’ World Cup squad, has decided that he will be based in Christchurch where is likely to play at wing or centre. The deal isn’t confirmed yet but Williams is expected to sign in the near future.
In signing with Canterbury, Williams will reject a lucrative offer from Hawkes Bay, who were willing to pay double the amount of North Harbour’s deal with adding luxury accommodation and a prestige car. He will also snub the chance to rejoin former mentor Tana Umaga, who’s an assistant coach at Counties-Manuka, and his family, who want him to be based with them in Auckland.
Williams’s three goals are to make the World Cup squad, be the best representative he can be and help the team secure World Cup glory. Signing with Canterbury, who are the New Zealand Cup defending champions and seven-time Super Rugby champions, he will be in the best position to achieve this.
”I do talk with him often, but we don’t talk about what he’s going to do. I have told him that Counties-Manukau is a great place to live … but in the end, he’s got to do what’s best for himself,’ Umaga told smh.com.au.
43 Comments
23 Jun 2010, 07:09 am
Good move on his part.
23 Jun 2010, 07:24 am
Good. Now we can see what all the hype is about. Welcome the big league, Sonny boy.
23 Jun 2010, 07:31 am
Nothing has been published yet. Are you always this prem?
23 Jun 2010, 07:34 am
Sonny’s not new to rugby union. He’s been a huge hit playing for Toulon who rated him so highly they offered him the biggest contract in the history of rugby union, ahead of all the test players from everywhere.
23 Jun 2010, 07:54 am
What position does Sonny Boy play?
23 Jun 2010, 08:18 am
Inside or outside centre, vital stats 1.95m 110kg, hope this helps
23 Jun 2010, 08:22 am
@TheTackler(TheTackler)-4: Jaa but is he anywhere near the player Pierre Spies is ?
23 Jun 2010, 08:31 am
@horiman(horiman)-6: H. All this hype at least he deserves a chance to show us he is the best in his position and he cannot do it @ 13 cos Jaque Fourie is the worlds best outside centre so I hope its inside ….then again , we have De Jougn and Jean there , please possibly Frans Steyn…Dammit.
Maybe he can play 8th man ? Oops , sorry Spies got that tied up as well , there is always tighthead cos we sukkling a little there nowadays
23 Jun 2010, 08:35 am
@sparticus(sparticus)-8:
Ypu must have a really small d*ck.
23 Jun 2010, 09:04 am
@Black Panther(Black Panther)-9: Eish , I can see its school holidays.
23 Jun 2010, 09:07 am
@Black Panther(Black Panther)-9: So thats really your best effort ? kinda like conceding defeat before us started. All downhill from here….cheers for now folks , the panther is in the house…..well until his mom wanna check her Facebook status.
23 Jun 2010, 09:12 am
@TheTackler(TheTackler)-4: T14 rugby doesnt compare to S14 Rugby.
Let’s see how this oke goes. He could not ask for a better platform to start off from – Carter inside him and Fruen outside. Should be good.
23 Jun 2010, 09:14 am
@Black Panther(Black Panther)-9:
Not Ayoba.
23 Jun 2010, 09:24 am
@horiman(horiman)-6: Thanks, can’t wait to see him in action. All this hype is not good for him though, he is going to be under enormous pressure.
23 Jun 2010, 09:27 am
@sparticus(sparticus)-8: You are looking where SA are sucking, you should be looking where the AB’s are sucking. Doesn’t that make your task much easier.
23 Jun 2010, 09:37 am
It is worth noting that the monetary value Toulon would have attached to this guy no doubt exceeds his value on the field, and takes into consideration the the off field publicity and marketing value he would have, given his apparent celebrity bad boy status.
For example, David Beckham got paid as much for the fan interest he would attract to a team as for his actual playing skill.
So the fact that Sonny earns more than Piet Boer or whoever at Toulon may have as much to do with his greater marketing appeal as with his greater pace and better sidestep.
23 Jun 2010, 09:41 am
@Kea-Cat(KEA)-14: Yeah, he will be under pressure as the “missing link” for New Zeland rugby’s success at the world cup, but he has been under enormous pressure since he was about 17 and rated as the next big thing in league. By the age of 21 he was being called the best ever player in league, had admited (under pressure from the CEO of his club) to having an alcohol problem and was regularly in the tabloids for having daliances with attractive women in bathrooms.
Since then he has walked out on his contract in Australia (4 years and 2 million dollars, if memory serves me correct), been threatened with legal sanctions for doing this, and developed as a player in rugby union under the gaze of every-one, half of which wanted him to fail, and the other half wanted him to succeed.
I think the pressure of rugby in New Zealand is probably a continuance of this!
23 Jun 2010, 09:49 am
@Black Panther(Black Panther)-9:
****!
At the moment Sonny Bill is more concerned with his boxing career being on the undercard for Mundine in a few days time…
23 Jun 2010, 09:50 am
@money_man(money_man)-18:
To the guy above more concerned with posters di ck sizes… m offie!
23 Jun 2010, 09:51 am
@sparticus(sparticus)-7: He is really good in the tackle, a lot of the time he lifts his arms and takes the tackle on his chest and manages to pass the ball.
He also often breaks the tackle and he has a good step on him to confuse the defense.
I have only seen him play for Toulon and S15 will be a whole different story.
23 Jun 2010, 09:54 am
@sparticus(sparticus)-11:
Please explain the relevance of saying “Sonny Bill isnt as good as X, Y and Z”. Apparently he’s not-as-good-as 4…..coincidentally…….SA players.
Any relevance will do. Certainly the article itself makes NO reference to his playing abilities and NO reference to whether he models himself on anyone elses game.
sm@ll d*ckiticus
23 Jun 2010, 09:57 am
@money_man(money_man)-19:
Yours appears to be inverted. You really should do something about that.
23 Jun 2010, 10:14 am
Will be good to see if the hit matches the hype.
23 Jun 2010, 10:18 am
With Sonny, Fruen, Kahn Fotauli(sp?) and Maitland around, the Sader’s quota might be breached next season!
23 Jun 2010, 10:51 am
@Black Panther(Black Panther)-21: Well I cannot help if Spies , Fourie, Matfield , Steyn , FDP , Burger , Habs etc etc are the best in their positions , hell even our second best lock Bekker is rated the best.
Back to the point , all the hype about Sonny I was saying that I hope he is worth it and become the best in his position which will be difficult if he plays at outside centre cos Jaque Fourie is the best – So says me , SA , NZ , even Jaque himself lol. The hype about him reminds me of Wendal Sailor and we all know how well that went. Its one thing to be good as a league player and another to shine in Rugby Union , from what I can see he is a good athlete but then the other question I had was is he better than Pierre Spies ? Now if you cannot keep up and continue concerning yourself with anatomy then I suggest u rather not engage.
23 Jun 2010, 11:00 am
@sparticus(sparticus)-8: Fourie the best centre???
bwahahaha seems someones been listening to the mans own self appraisal… not many would agree with him..
if anyones overhyped, its definitely the arrogant Fourie..
23 Jun 2010, 11:02 am
@sparticus(sparticus)-25: Spies bwhahahah ?
thats why his opposite got man of the match in a losing side… Parisse is a much better 8, if Spies didnt have pace he would be nothing really… still has a fair way to go to become a decent 8, let alone the best one..
23 Jun 2010, 11:11 am
@poppa69(poppa69)-26: Hi Poppa, what is Sonny Bill’s age ? I would love to see him playing in S15 next year. I have never seen him before, but will look on Youtube to find some footage.
23 Jun 2010, 11:16 am
@CharlesM(CharlesM)-28: Hey Charles.. I think he is about 24, though I am not certain… he is very much an athlete, doesnt have the pace of someone like Spies who is lightning fast, but is always strong in the tackle and is renown for his off-loading abilities… I will be an interested observer in how he does… if the rumours true then I think the Saders will be the best spot for him to learn quickly…
23 Jun 2010, 11:16 am
@poppa69(poppa69)-27: Well in the same breath then what would Carter be if he did not have such a great boot ? Is that not what makes them special ? My word u not making sense , if Spies did not have pace nogals. Thats the whole point aint it. Thats what makes him better. Eish.
23 Jun 2010, 11:17 am
@poppa69(poppa69)-27: though in saying that, I do think Spies can become one of the greatest we will see…
23 Jun 2010, 11:17 am
@poppa69(poppa69)-26: PS – Jaque Fourie is the best , even he thinks so.ok !
23 Jun 2010, 11:21 am
@sparticus(sparticus)-30: doesnt make him the best 8 though does it? as I said, Parisse is a much better 8 man then Spies, if you cannot see this then you have only your one eye on the game…
No, Carter has sublime running and option taking skills, as well as his ability to control a game… if you think Carters only great because of his boot then I want some of what your smoking
23 Jun 2010, 11:24 am
@sparticus(sparticus)-32: bwahahaha Fourie is nothing more then good, definitely not the best centre in the world…
23 Jun 2010, 11:46 am
@poppa69(poppa69)-29: I’ve just watched a couple of tries and tackles of Sonny Bill. The guy seems to be very powerful. I saw the off-loading abilities you talked about. He should be able to make a huge contribution to the Saders (and All Blacks obviously)
23 Jun 2010, 11:51 am
@CharlesM(CharlesM)-35: he definitely has the skills, I just wonder how he will adapt to the S15… will be a step up from playing in the french league, so any deficiencies in his game will be quickly found out and exploited..
I personally dont think he will be ready for the WC (happy to be proven wrong)…
23 Jun 2010, 11:53 am
@WOLFMAN21(WOLFMAN21)-17: hmmmmm, u may have exaggarated the truth there a little….he was hardly being heralded as “the greatest ever league player”…just a very talented star. people in league dont even blink twice about him now, he’s long forgotten and arguably greg inglis is 5 times more talented (now thats a player rugby must buy). As for the bathroom affairs, it happened just ONCE coz of a curious fan who followed SBW and the girl into the toilets.As for his “development” in union….its top 14 rugby and he hasnt sone anything special, just been solid at best. nothing jaw dropping. But crusaders def his best move coz carter can hide his shortcomings and make him look good. if u look average playing next to Dan Carter ur k*k, that simple so like u said the pressure is REALLY on him…..my personal opinion, he will be decidedly average like many so called ‘athletic’ league stars (sailor, tuquiri, tahu, cross, barnes). Only jason Robinson and matt rogers cut the mustard and they were 2 of the smallest league imports, so i dont care much for all this hype about his stats. Hes too slow for centre and at best should be in the backrow
23 Jun 2010, 12:10 pm
@poppa69(poppa69)-33: Yes all true , was kinda the point I was trying to make , what set Carter and the likes of Steyn aside is their ability to kick as well. A guy like Carlos Spencer read the game well , played some terrific footie but was never in the same league as Carter due to his lack of kicking skills.
As for Spies and Parrise well , we all have our opinions now dont we. Its number 1 or 2 for either of them depending how u look at it.
23 Jun 2010, 12:31 pm
I think SBW would make a great back row forward, however coming from a league background he does not have the time to develop into anything other than a pure ball running loose forward. There is a lot more to the game of any loose forward than running with the ball. Hence he has found himself out in the backline.
It will be interesting to see how he does and what the selectors do because in Ma’a Nonu NZ already have an explosive second-five, I see little point taking Nonu off for someone who would be a similar player unless SBW excels in the super 14. I’d much rather see another 2nd five having the ability to kick and read the game, than having 2 very similar players in the squad.
On the subject of who are the best players in the world, part of the great thing about sport is everyone is different and brings different attributes to their team. Unless someone is so much better than everyone else it is very hard to say who is the best in the world, and I don’t think Spies is clearly better than Parrise or the other way around, and certainly Fourie is not clearly better than other centres in the world – no matter what he claims.
23 Jun 2010, 12:45 pm
@Ooh Aah Umaga(Ooh Aah Umaga)-39: i agree…if they want explosiveness and running in their 12 Nonu fills the role anyway so i see no point in bringing in a rookie who is actually SLOWER than Nonu and less experienced
23 Jun 2010, 15:59 pm
@flanka(flanka)-37: A number of people called him the best player in league, and one of the best ever players in the sport (before leaving the game), including Matty Johns (although we don’t trust his opinion any-more) and the “voice of league”. I exagerated about his daliances, it was a daliance, singular.
People in league still mention him regularly, if only to compare new players with him, and the mere mention of his name gets a lot of people excited and angry at what could have been – more so than Gasnier, Tahu in the past and Hunt.
Sonny Bill, in league, performed in rubbish teams – the Bulldogs at their worst and for New Zealand, and was often the best player on the field in losing causes, not only the best player on his team – see the centenary test a couple of years ago. Inglis is fantastic but shines in a team of super stars, for Australia, Queensland and the Storm.
Also, Sonny Bill is a very different player to that stampkar Nonu. His offloads, footwork, ability to read the game (see a number of his defensive efforts) all point to this. His one weakness thus far is that he doesn’t have a kicking game. He will only get better in New Zealand, especially with the structure he will learn at the Crusaders and also the more attacking mindset of Kiwi teams which will see his offloads caught by support runners such as Jane, Dagg, Rockococococo and Carter.
24 Jun 2010, 00:25 am
Waste of time in IMO, don’t think he as proven himself as a good rugby player let alone an all black. Should have spent the money on trying to get Evans back. He is going to come hear play till the world cup then take off after it, we don’t need someone like that in NZ like he did at the bull dogs.
24 Jun 2010, 05:01 am
agree ABs need a player of quality like Evans.
Henry is bound to pull SBW into the squad asap and try and get him up to speed on systems and skill sets.
re SBW. i’m expecting a complete bolter for the AB 3N squad selection
imo SBW has more to offer than nonu. nonu has always been a liability on defence, and only operates well with conrad tell him what to do. SBW seems a more intelligent player able to read the situation and react to it.
the AB game also has seemed to cope well enough without a kicking 12. since mauger left nz has been successful enough with a primary ball carrier at 12.
if SBW shines at S15, you can bet that henry will play him. so who do the boks select at 12 to counter/dictate things.
WO can be defensively solid when at his peak.
JDV can manage bigger players well enough.
JDJ is astute at tackling text book style but that doesnt stifle the lethal offloads that SBW has.
perhaps PDV could select a tank of a player to focus on SBW. Flo, Rousow, Bakkies, Burger, Vermuelen
S15 is far too far away. henry must introduce him now.
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