Kiwis leave door open for return of Sonny Bill, the $10m man
Kiwis coach Michael Maguire has left the door open for Sonny Bill Williams to return to the Kiwis.
The 12-test Kiwi will return to league in 2020 after signing a lucrative two-year deal with the English Super League’s Toronto Wolfpack.
Williams hasn’t played league since 2014 and was last included in the Kiwis team in 2013.
Speaking to the Radio Sport Breakfast, Maguire said there was every chance Williams could appear in a Kiwis squad in the future.
“The first thing he needs to do is establish himself back into the game, then from there, you let your playing do all the talking,” Maguire said. “He’s been around for a long time now and I’m sure he knows what he needs to do to get his body right to be able to perform to the highest level.
“I’ll let him get himself settled and then decide which way he wants to go. He may not want to look at representative football; he may.”
The Kiwis won’t be the only representative team happy to welcome Williams into their ranks when the time was right, with Toa Samoa also expressing interested in having the cross-code star line up for them.
The 34-year-old superstar also holds a Samoan passport and has been passionate about both codes in the Pacific Islands throughout his career.
“We would certainly wait for the ink to dry on his contract but we will be definitely be making contact with him to gauge his interest,” Toa Samoa coach Matt Parish told AAP.
“I know he is very proud of his Samoan heritage.
“We’d definitely welcome the opportunity to have him in the team. His influence on and off the field would be immense for a nation like Samoa.”
For Williams, his return to league puts an end to a five-year stint in the 15-man game which saw him win a Rugby World Cup with the All Blacks in 2015. It was his second run in rugby, having played from 2008 to 2012 and winning the 2011 World Cup with the All Blacks before returning to the Sydney Roosters in the NRL in 2013, winning a premiership, and 2014.
His signing with Toronto, reported to be worth $10 million over the two-years, has been hailed by the club as a game changer for their franchise.
Maguire echoed that sentiment, and said Williams could do great things for the game in the northern hemisphere.
“I think it’s fantastic for the game over there, to be able to grow it on a wider scale.” The Toronto Wolfpack believe their investment in Williams will set them up for years.
It’s a sizeable pay cheque for the former All Blacks midfielder, but one the Wolfpack’s commercial vice-presidents Jon Pallett said it was worth writing.
Speaking to the Radio Sport Breakfast, Pallett said the franchise believes they will be reaping the benefits of Williams’ signing long after his two-year contract has expired.
“There are very few sport stars on the planet that transcend their sport. In our sport, Sonny Bill Williams has been and is that player.We’re not going to get the accountants doing the maths on the calculators, but certainly we think there is a commercial value to having a player like this,” he said.
“There’s certainly a huge value to us in terms of our fan base, and the community work that we do, and obviously the sponsorships and ticket sales that go with it.
“We know that bringing in a player like this plays a big part in growing our brand in not only Toronto but globally and hopefully has a legacy thereafter.”
Pallett was hopeful Williams’ signing would put league on the map in the competitive Toronto sport market in the same way David Beckham’s signing with Major League Soccer’s LA Galaxy did for that competition.
“We do know there is a big value off the field for acquiring a player of this nature, especially in this market; it’s sports-mad,” Pallett said
“They do love a superstar and this city that has had a history of bringing in superstars who have done well and grown whatever sport it was that they’re playing.’’