NRL 2020: Sonny Bill Williams calls time on his Roosters career
It was not the end to the tale that Sonny Bill Williams wanted – or that many of us expected – but what we do know is that we owe SBW thanks, writes NICK WALSHAW.
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WELL Sonny. This NRL thing may not have finished how you wanted.
Or how many expected.
But rugby league, it has a knack of having the final word, ey?
On everyone.
So what is really left to say mate but thank you.
What for?
Well, that’s harder to articulate.
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Sure, your shoulder charges were a thing of beauty until outlawed.
Same deal the offloads, premierships, battles with Sam Burgess, backpage headlines, the praise to your God, notebooks filled with tips, the departures, the returns, all of it.
Hell, we even shelled out 50 bucks for your boxing debut with Gary ‘The Baboon’ Gurr.
For Sonny, you had that something special.
Exactly what, is harder to say.
But undeniably, The Greatest Game was greater with you in it.
Which isn’t to say, in what was likely your final NRL comeback, you haven’t slowed.
At 35, it happens.
But still, you almost went and stole the show – again.
Were firing from the moment you came on too.
Then that bit of danger, it became a lot of it.
Specifically, when with only minutes to play, and Canberra seemingly home, you threw that tryline offload and found fellow Roosters forward Sitili Tupouniua.
So Sitili, in turn, and in traffic, passed on to James Tedesco.
Who scored.
Of course, he did.
Which come the finish, still wouldn’t be enough.
But geez, for the longest moment it seemed, again, you were going to be the star.
Which isn’t how it finished, of course.
Nor for Mitch Aubusson, either.
That greatest of NRL advertisements who left the field to a guard of honour from both teams.
Truly, if ever you wanted your daughter to marry a leaguie – or have one play for your life -- it has to be that bloke.
Indeed, just as you Sonny were the human headline, so Aubusson was the unsung hero.
At least until we said it so often, this Roosters mainstay became recognised for being unrecognised.
Perfect.
Which was exactly like the contest that proved his last.
Game?
No, this was an NRL advertising campaign.
One of those made-for-TV clips all leaps, thwacks, and tries which, on this night, went unbroken for all 80 minutes.
Best of it?
Take your pick.
Certainly Sonny, your offload at the death was a ball tearer.
Same deal the try to Raiders No.13 Joseph Tapine, where he beat five, maybe six Roosters defenders – including No.6 Luke Keary three times.
Then there was that Tedesco cracker, only minutes from the break.
With the Roosters No.1 reaching, arms outstretched, to snare what had seconds before been a Josh Morris break up the left touchline, then crosskick all right foot.
Incredible.
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Just as you, too, were dangerous.
Asked afterwards if this was the last we will see of you in the NRL, your coach Trent Robinson replied that, yes, it probably was.
“But with Sonny,” he said, smiling for perhaps the first time, “I dunno?
“I’m not saying at the Roosters but obviously the curtain is closing.
“He still has the contract at Toronto and I think he showed there’s a fighter there. He had a big impact on our game tonight.”
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Played longer than anyone expected too.
“And we needed him,” your coach continued. “We needed a guy who when the pressure was on would put his hand up.
“And Sonny’s done that his whole career in uncomfortable situations.
“And he did it again tonight.”
So once more, thank you.
Originally published as NRL 2020: Sonny Bill Williams calls time on his Roosters career