Roosters ready as Sonny Bill Williams touches down
Sonny Bill Williams arrived in Australia with the cross-code star pencilled in to play for the Roosters in Round 17.
“Welcome to the Roosters!”
A lone Sydney Roosters fan shouted proudly at Sonny Bill Williams as the cross-code superstar emerged from a long-haul flight ahead of his highly anticipated NRL return for the glamour club.
Sporting a face mask and his youngest child, fast asleep, strapped to his broad chest, Williams and the rest of his family touched down on Australian soil late on Thursday night on a Qatar Airways flight from Doha.
“It’s good to be home, it’s been a long flight,” was all a clearly tired Williams could offer the large waiting media pack.
Despite his exhaustion Williams obliged the lone Roosters fan with a selfie.
On a normal night, Sydney Airport would be a hive of activity but in the COVID era the international terminal was deserted, except for a large media pack.
Rather than be ushered away through a secret exit, Williams, his wife Alana and their four children in tow boarded awaiting buses alongside other passengers.
The jet-lagged family, who started their journey in Manchester, were taken from the airport to their temporary new home – a three bedroom penthouse with views of Sydney Tower and glimpses of the harbour.
Williams will now spend the next 14 days in mandatory quarantine at the luxury hotel before he can join the Tricolours in their training bubble.
The NRL’s head of government relations Jaymes Boland-Rudder had spoken with his political connections to ensure the family was accommodated in comfort at the Pitt St Meriton.
The Sydney Roosters’ sports science staff arrived earlier in the day to set up a home gym so Williams can get stuck into a five-week fitness crash course to get his body prepared for the most anticipated NRL comeback in years.
His agent Khoder Nasser dropped in some supplies SBW had asked for.
Coach Trent Robinson told The Australian the champion forward had been given a training schedule and will work regularly with the club’s strength and conditioning team.
Staff will take him through sessions via Zoom video link-ups.
He will be sent training videos from cameras at both ends of the ground to study the team’s various moves and patterns.
“Our staff are ready to take him through our programs,” Robinson said. “We’re coaching him while he’s in there. Stretching, conditioning, weights, footy … the lot. We’ll send him some video from training and our games.
“Our philosophy hasn’t changed but our game has evolved.”
The Daily Telegraph
More Coverage
‘Love him to death’: Moses’ impassioned plea to keep Brown at Parra
Speaking for the first time since taking over as Eels captain, Mitchell Moses has launched an impassioned plea to retain Dylan Brown, and revealed how Jason Ryles has transformed Parramatta.
Mass changes at Parramatta continue as Eels boss steps down
The major changes in leadership at Parramatta continue with chairman Sean McElduff stepping down from the role, just six months after appointing Jason Ryles as head coach.