‘All the world knows Sonny Bill Williams’
A rival Super League coach says the predicted arrival of ‘‘global star’’ Sonny Bill Williams at the Toronto Wolfpack will be a massive marketing tool for the entire competition.
Salford Red Devils coach Ian Watson, who is in Christchurch as an assistant coach to Wayne Bennett with Great Britain fortomorrow’s test against the Kiwis at Orangetheory Stadium, believes the impacts of Williams playing for the Canadian-based club will be felt in the northern and southern hemispheres.
Watson, who took perennial battlers Salford all the way to the Super League grand final this year, believes the All Blacks midfielder will bring English rugby fans to league and create pathways for more New Zealand players to play in the Englandbased Super League – as well as lifting the profile of rugby league in the North American continent.
‘‘Obviously Super League is looking to try and expand and I think bringing somebody in like Sonny Bill Williams who is a global star to be fair would be huge,’’ Watson has told Stuff. ‘‘It’s not like it’s just New Zealand who know him – all the world knows Sonny Bill Williams.’’
Williams’ move to the Toronto Wolfpack on a rich two-year deal, reportedly worth $10 million, is expected to be confirmed in the coming days. The Wolfpack, who will join the English Super League for the first time in 2020 after two promotions in three seasons, are bankrolled by Australian mining entrepreneur David Argyle and were looking for a David Beckham- type player to do for them what the former Manchester United favourite did for LA Galaxy.
Watson, who played in the Super League for Workington and Salford, says they have found the right man. ‘‘He’s a global name. Rugby league supporters know him, rugby union supporters know him.
‘‘In England that’s a big thing for us as well because it will attract some of those rugby union
Ian Watson on Sonny Bill Williams
‘‘He’s a global name. Rugby league supporters know him, rugby union supporters know him.’’
supporters to come and just watch him basically and hopefully they will fall in love with the rugby league game when they are there and then hopefully they will stay and support rugby league in the future.
‘‘I think it could be a really a good tool for the whole Super League competition,’’ Watson says. Watson, who earned 30 caps for Wales in his playing career, says players from rival clubs will relish the challenge of going up against the dynamic Williams.
‘‘I think a lot of players will be really interested to come up against Sonny Bill Williams because he’ll be the hero.’’
Watson is well aware the reach of Williams will massively grow the popularity of Super League to New Zealand viewers, with an almost overnight effect, and he can see his involvement making it a more attractive option for New Zealand players.
Watson says there have been big names like Kevin Locke and Manu Vatuvei – who both played for Salford – but no Kiwi player with the global pulling power of Williams has graced the Super League in recent years.