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Williams, Sonny Bill |
  Sonny Bill WILLIAMS [Player Stats] + Submit additional information or a correction to this player 
Bulldogs and Williams settle dispute Mon August 18, 2008 Source: www.bulldogs.com.au The Bulldogs have today received a significant compensation payout from Sonny Bill Williams after he abandoned the Club with seven games remaining of the 2008 season and with another four years to serve on his contract. The settlement also stipulates that Williams cannot play for any other NRL Club until the end of the 2012 season when his deal with the Bulldogs was due to expire. Following on from a Supreme Court ruling that he would be in contempt of court if he played for any Club other than the Bulldogs representatives of Williams made contact with the Club on Wednesday, for the first time since he walked out nearly four weeks ago, seeking a resolution to the matter. "With the backing of the Courts the point has clearly been made that a contract is binding," Bulldogs Chief Executive Mr Greenberg said today. "We remain bitterly disappointed at the manner in which Sonny Bill deserted his team mates and his supporters. "We have however reached the point where we need to get on with business and we have withdrawn the injunction against him playing for any other club. "Neither the Bulldogs nor Sonny Bill have anything further to gain by drawing this situation out any further. "For that reason we have accepted a significant compensation payout from Sonny Bill and a commitment that he not play for any other NRL Club until his contract was due to expire at the end of the 2012 season. "With this matter resolved we now look to finishing off our final few games of the season as strongly as possible and delivering Steve Folkes the farewell he deserves." News Source: www.bulldogs.com.au Opinion: Sonny Bill Williams - Innocence Lost Fri August 8, 2008 by Chris Riediger Like many others, I tuned in to watch last night's interview with Sonny Bill Williams on the Footy Show in the slight hope that we'd hear something profound, something that "made sense" of what has looked like an act of lunacy. What I came away with is that Sonny Bill Williams has simple had his child-like innocence shattered. His repeated references to opening his eyes just served to reinforce this. There is no doubt that SBW loves Rugby League as a game. He has often played it with child-like, joyful abandon executed with adult-like, destructive force. But the SBW I saw last night is one that just doesn't love the NRL, the professional embodiment of the game of Rugby League. The harsh realities of professional sport have never sat well with him, but personal injury aside, he's been shielded from it for the most part. But that has all changed in the last 9-12 months. To me, it appears as though once his "eyes were opened" and this sense of innocence - that playing in the NRL could be like playing park footy with mates but getting paid for it - was lost, he decided to treat it like a job and make changes. He doesn't believe breaking his contract is an issue because he's seen all number of clubs not honour their side of the bargain. His friends have no doubt convinced him that this point of view is a fair one. I don't think he honestly believes he's done anything wrong from a "professional sports" perspective. I can see the trail of logic in what he has done clearly. You can convince yourself and even prove to yourself that something is sensible, logical and right if you really want to. And he's surrounded himself with people that have the same "logic" in mind to further reinforce it. However, in amongst the hyperbole, the excuses, the accusations and the ridiculous examples supporting his logic, there were some important messages. Messages about the culture and "business" of Rugby League and the way the professional code operates and imposes itself on the clubs at the coalface and the way they have to operate. I note that a few players and a few executives have said similar ... that there is some truth in parts of the sentiment of SBW's explanation of himself. I just hope this isn't lost in the noise, because it would be easy for the custodians of our game to sweep these pieces under the carpet by discrediting it with the noise around the message. As for SBW believing some good might come of his departure and that he stood up and was courageous, I disagree. He should have stayed and fought with his fellow players for better conditions if he believed it was deserved. He would've had a willing ally in his old mate Willie Mason, that's for certain. His profile amongst the players would have been an extremely powerful weapon in such a fight. Instead, SBW has dropped a few nuggets on the way out the door for others to run with while he sits back on a deck chair in the Riviera with cash in his pockets and a dream to play for the All Blacks in Rugby Union. That is cowardice, not courage and I don't care if I haven't "walked in his shoes" as he put it last night, because I'd say that to his face if he afforded me the opportunity. I can say that with utter conviction because this very website has taken up this fight on behalf of Rugby League in the past, and we'll continue to in the future. Innocence being lost and the corruption of morals often go hand in hand. SBW is a very public living example of this.
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Rleague.com PTY LTD, operated by Rugby League fans James Stewart (Content, Technical development and implementation), Matthew O'Neill (Content) & Chris Riediger (Content)
Rleague powered by Offers from Union
