On the face of it, not a drama
THE NRL has given the all clear to an interaction between Sonny Bill Williams and a passionate Sydney Roosters supporter that took place at Sydney Airport last night.
The lone and loud Roosters fan asked Williams for a selfie as the cross code superstar emerged from a long haul flight late on Thursday night.
Despite Williams’ clear exhaustion, having travelled to Sydney from Manchester via Doha with four kids in tow, the 34-year old graciously obliged the supporter with a photo.
Eagle-eyed fans on social media noticed the player and fan had come within the 1.5 metre social distancing rule recommended by NSW Health and the state government. But Williams was wearing a face mask at the time and the two were separated by a physical barrier. On Friday, the NRL said that the selfie did not pose an “issue” for Williams.
“There is no issue. Like all returned travellers, Sonny Bill and his family are going into mandatory hotel quarantine for 14 days,” the spokesman said.
A number of NRL players including Canterbury‘s Jake Averillo and Penrith’s Charlie Staines were forced into mandatory self isolation for either being a close contact of a person in a hotspot or breaching protocols. But unlike Averillo and Staines, Williams is currently not a registered NRL player and doesn’t technically fall under the game’s COVID rules as yet. The NRL also stressed that Williams‘ 14-day quarantine will safeguard him of any potential risks.
After clearing customs on Thursday night, Williams, his wife Alana and their four young children were ushered into a waiting bus and taken to their luxury hotel accommodation.
There Williams will spend the next two weeks completing an intensive fitness regimen to help get his body ready for training and then his NRL comeback, expected in round 17 against Canberra Raiders.
“The challenge of coming to where his wife is from, bringing the kids back to Australia and then the challenge of getting started to attack the back end of the season is high on Sonny’s list and the motivation is right there,” Roosters coach Trent Robinson said.