NRL must avoid helping Sydney Roosters secure Sonny Bill Williams
There’s no doubt rugby league - and the Roosters - will benefit greatly from Sonny Bill Williams’ return in 2020 but the NRL must play no part in the negotiations, writes DARREN LOCKYER.
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The impending return of Sonny Bill Williams will be huge for the NRL but the game’s administration should not be pulling strings to make it happen.
Williams looks likely to make a stunning return to the Sydney Roosters for the back end of the 2020 NRL Premiership and finals series.
It would be a fairy tale return for “SBW” after he last featured in the NRL with the Roosters in 2013-14 before embarking on a successful career in rugby union.
Williams is arguably the biggest star in world rugby union and league.
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He has a huge following and attracts enormous interest, as evidenced by his $10 million signing with Toronto Wolfpack in the Super League.
From a brand perspective for the NRL it is no doubt a positive to have him back.
He is a big name across multiple codes and a lot of people have followed his career.
Williams is a publicity machine and will inject another dimension of excitement in the latter stages of the premiership season.
I don’t see any negatives around him returning to the game, but the Roosters have got to drive this.
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They are the ones that have to do the heavy lifting and secure the right approvals and exemptions for Williams to return to Australia.
There has been suggestions the NRL will become involved in negotiating with government departments to bring Williams into the country given he does not possess an Australian passport.
It is up to the Roosters to make it happen and if they’re able to pull it off then I don’t see any reason why he would not be good for the game.
It’s not like he is going to be playing representative football and denying a young player an opportunity.
The Roosters have suffered some injuries of late and Williams can provide something to their team, even though he turns 35 next month.
The biggest challenge for Williams will be adapting to what the NRL is like in 2020.
It has been six years since he last played in the competition and it has undergone some enormous changes, specifically over the past three months.
Williams played five games for the Wolfpack before COVID-19 shutdown the Super League and while he showed some moments of brilliance, he was still finding his feet again in the 13-man game.
By the time Williams serves quarantine periods, trains with the Roosters and then returns to the NRL, it will take him a good month of footy to get up to the pace and intensity.
By then the Roosters will be heading into the finals.
Because of who he is and what he’s done there will likely be a target on his back.
Williams will not be as agile and quick as he once was. He will have to rely on his offloading ability and talent to be successful again.
His weapons could be deadly with the speed of the NRL but there are undoubtedly some questions around how effective he could be given the circumstances around his return.
The Roosters are taking a risk on Williams but you cannot question their coach Trent Robinson.
He has won three NRL premierships, including the past two, and Williams could provide an X-factor to deliver the Roosters a historic three-peat.
In a season that has been like no other, SBW would add another level of interest and generate huge publicity for the NRL.
But the Roosters should not be receiving any special help to bring him back.