Tweet
Has anyone heard of this? On fox sports it said he has set to sign with the Chiefs.
-
-
If he goes he goes, he won't be here forever.
He's been injured for much of the year and is now out suspended.
It'd be nice if he made up his mind and let us know so we could plan our future. -
haven't heard anything official, but you would think that if the NRL has blown their stack over Bunji deferring to union, then they would absolutely go to town if SBW followed suit.Originally posted by MikeTama View Post
personally, I don't think anything will be announced until the season finishes.Comment
-
If he wins a title for with us this yr, he can sign with souths and it wouldnt bother me. He is a bounty hunter, and commits to each club he plays with which is the good thing.
he was never going to be here long if it is true anyway. He can leave his impression and work ethic with us for some time.Comment
-
Exactly...Originally posted by milanja View Post
He's the type who gets a LOT of money for a season and has a habit of making a positive difference in big games.
That and he doesn't play for QLD, which is great!Comment
-
Yes in 2015Comment
-
He will be a Rooster in 2014Alcohol never solved any life problems.....then again neither did milk.Comment
-
NZ Herald is this morning reporting SBW will sign a 3yr contract at the end of his NRL commitments this year.
who knows what his intentions are, but there are rumours that the NRL is taking a far greater toll on his body than he expected, also he is not a big fan of the denfensive wrestling tactics now in the NRL.
the question must be asked though what would we do with $600-700k freed up if SBW leaves when we hoped he was staying.Comment
-
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news...ectid=10910998
Sonny Bill Williams plans to return to Hamilton and help them in their bid to build a dynasty, writes Gregor Paul.
Sonny Bill Williams is set to give New Zealand rugby a massive boost by committing to play for the Chiefs in their next campaign.
The 19-test All Black has indicated to the New Zealand Rugby Union that, of all the career options in front of him, his preference is to return to Hamilton and help them in their bid to build a dynasty. He's also made it clear he would like to be part of the All Black squad that tries to defend their title at the 2015 World Cup and possibly even play sevens at the 2016 Olympics.
The NZRU have tabled a three-year deal and their preference would be for Williams to see out his NRL commitments with the Sydney Roosters, probably commit to the Kiwis at the Rugby League World Cup in October and November and then return to Hamilton to be available for the Chiefs' next campaign. It is understood the national body is prepared to be flexible, potentially willing to agree to Williams returning in 2015 as long as he signs a contract tying him into that well in advance.
But the indications are that Williams wants to come back to New Zealand sooner rather than later and that he is aware that his World Cup ambitions will be at risk if he leaves himself only one Super Rugby campaign to win back his test place.
"We have made Sonny and Khoder [Williams' agent Khoder Nasser] an offer," says NZRU chief executive Steve Tew. "We have been talking to them and the dialogue has been positive but we don't have any ink on paper. We would obviously love Sonny to come back and play rugby here and we have made that clear. It is up to Sonny and Khoder now."
The NZRU are wary of getting ahead of themselves but in their experience, despite the perception of Williams' management team being prone to playing parties off against each other, Nasser is not one to waste time or mislead.
The wider team that looks after Williams have had a clear ambition since he infamously walked out of the Bulldogs in 2008 - they want him to be recognised as the world's greatest cross-code athlete and to be heavyweight boxing champion of the world.
He has collected an impressive number of trinkets to date: he won an NRL grand final with the Bulldogs in 2004, played in the Amlin Challenge Cup final with Toulon, won Super Rugby with the Chiefs and the World Cup with the All Blacks, and is the reigning New Zealand heavyweight boxing champion.
The Roosters are a reasonable prospect to win the NRL this year and Williams would do much to strengthen a Chiefs side that has won consecutive titles and an All Black side that will be well equipped to make a strong defence in 2015. If he could help the Kiwis win the World Cup later this year and make it to the Olympics in 2016 (where New Zealand are fancied to win the sevens gold medal), he would have an impressive claim to be the world's best cross-code athlete. However, there are thought to be other factors driving Williams back to Hamilton and rugby. He found a level of contentment and belonging with the Chiefs that he hadn't felt since his early days with the Bulldogs. He made a strong friendship with Liam Messam, had great respect for the coaching team and felt settled and relaxed in the city.
As a sign of where his heart lies, he attended the last Chiefs round-robin game against the Blues at Eden Park and celebrated with his former team-mates. He's believed to have mentioned then that he was hankering for a return - that the media scrutiny and public attention he was under in Sydney had become a bore and restrictive to his everyday life.
Williams maintained when he left the Chiefs last year that he would be back - that his decision to join the Sydney Roosters was made five years previously on a handshake deal that he felt he had to honour. But despite his assurances, it always felt more of an 'if' he would return to rugby rather than a 'when'.
Now everyone in New Zealand rugby is planning on Williams being here in 2014.Comment
-
-
Lets just see what pans out once the emotion of the Chiefs winning the comp dies down.Born and bred in the eastern suburbs.Comment
-
Sonny Bill Williams was very quick to deny he had re-signed with our club so we will know whether these rumours are true if he does not do the same with New Zealand Rugby Union.Comment
-
If he is intending to go back to rugby in 2014, the positive for us is that he will be hell intent on winning a NRL premiership this year !Comment
-
Now let me see... An extra $800K to spend on players in 2014? Anybody we'd like to sign?Comment
-
There are not many players worth the $800k per year salary in the NRL.Comment
Comment