Sonny Bill Williams walks out on Caterbury just now

[TITAN PETE]

Maybe if he's not allowed to play footy he should take a holiday in Bali with a boogie board supplied by the Corby's

[TITAN PETE]

No pay rise for Sonny Bill - Toulon
$A3 million salary figure dismissed

Thursday, 31 July 2008

Sonny Bill Williams will only earn the same money he is paid in the National Rugby League (NRL) by the Bulldogs if he signs to play rugby union with Toulon, according to the French club's millionaire owner.


Toulon owner-president Mourad Boudjellal says he hopes to sign Williams - but not for anywhere near the $A3 million ($NZ3.91 million) over two seasons that has been reported since the Kiwi international fled Australia on Saturday.

If that is the case, it will be some welcome news for the NRL which, with the salary cap, cannot match the figures being bandied about as it looks to retain its stars.

And in a further development, Boudjellal forecast more player raids on the NRL should Williams and former Australian test player Luke Rooney - who has already signed with Toulon - prove a success in rugby union.

"Today I think that Sonny Bill Williams, should he sign with Toulon, it would be for the equivalent conditions to what he's getting currently," Boudjellal told ABC radio from Florida.

"But it's not at all a question of money. If Sonny Bill Williams wants to play rugby today, he no longer wants to play league."

Although Boudjellal was adamant Toulon has yet to sign Williams, he says his club has been in discussions with the 22-year-old since June.

"It was perhaps that moment that Sonny Bill Williams wanted to play rugby," said Boudjellal, who described Williams as an "extraordinary" player.

"(But) today we haven't signed a contract because I haven't met Sonny Bill Williams.

"I know he wishes to play rugby. I know he wishes to play at Toulon under Tana Umaga. Now I also know he has some problems with his contract.

"I hope, first of all, that things are cleared up and then we'll see if financially it's something that is achievable for us, for our club.

"And if these two conditions come together, we will sign a contract with Sonny Bill Williams."

Boudjellal believed the progress of Williams, if signed, and Rooney would be closely monitored by other French clubs.

"If Sonny Bill Williams signs with Toulon with Luke Rooney, if the integration goes well, if they reach a level that we hope they will at rugby very quickly, it's certain that we'll depend more and more on having league players coming to France," he said.

Boudjellal says the introduction of the new laws (ELVs) in rugby union this year to speed up the game will help league players make the transition to union.

"It's obvious that with the new rules of rugby the integration of league players is going to be easier," he said.

"It's possible, even probable, that more and more rugby (clubs) in Europe will turn towards league players in Australia and New Zealand.

"The new rules will favour that. They'll favour the integration of league players into rugby. It will be easier."

Boudjellal says it would be unwise for the Bulldogs not to release the player, believing it would serve nothing because Williams now has his sights on playing for the All Blacks and has lost the desire for rugby league.

Williams has another four years remaining on his contract with the Bulldogs.

[TITAN PETE]

Thats great news to know because i'm sure the Frogs wouldn't lie about what he's being paid & considering Rooney signed for 600K a season & SBW is going to play B Grade Rugby for the same money he was on at the Dogs which is supposed to be 500K so i'm curious if anyone thinks Rooney is worth a 100k more then SBW

[GCT_89]

Thats great news to know because i'm sure the Frogs wouldn't lie about what he's being paid & considering Rooney signed for 600K a season & SBW is going to play B Grade Rugby for the same money he was on at the Dogs which is supposed to be 500K so i'm curious if anyone thinks Rooney is worth a 100k more then SBW

Hell, im worth 100k more then $BW.........

[Paul]

LOL If anybody believes a word of that story they would need their head read

[kwigibo]

so i'm curious if anyone thinks Rooney is worth a 100k more then SBW

Maybe, what position does SBW expect to play? Rooney will just play wing, clearly. Is SBW a union centre? He's definitely not a union forward, does he even know how to contest a lineout?

[C-Whiz]

Maybe, what position does SBW expect to play? Rooney will just play wing, clearly. Is SBW a union centre? He's definitely not a union forward, does he even know how to contest a lineout?

IMO he/they would be thinking running back/centre. It's obvious with Tamana as coach that's what they have in mind. I would suggest he would be an awesome Union centre,with his size and off-load ability. But just for reference, the SBW trademark NRL shoulder charge is illegal in Union, so the boy has to learn how to tackle properly.

As far as his worth..... who knows. He didn't hop a plane to France on a wing and a prayer and the same money he was on with the Dogs, that's for sure!

[patskE]

man tbh i can understand y he went, the money was a part of it, but u could tell he was over the media always on his case.
It was good to see on the footy show, the day b4 he went he was in anadale doing that coach thing for the kids... He stayed just to do that...

[Paul]

Money is the ONLY reason. I hate that it's being dressed up as all these other excuses

There have been/are now and will continue to be bigger names than him under more pressure of the media

he's a scumbag for just taking off

[Capital_Shark]

man tbh i can understand y he went, the money was a part of it, but u could tell he was over the media always on his case.
It was good to see on the footy show, the day b4 he went he was in anadale doing that coach thing for the kids... He stayed just to do that...

But he left some charity for menigicocal (I know I buggered that word up but you know what I'm talking about) in the lurch a week or so out from some big charity dinner he was meant to be the main attraction at for 230 odd people at ridiculous prices per head.

Never fear though, for Greg Bird is here. He stuck his hand up and filled the gap left by Sonny. But thats positive League story so I'll understand if you missed it considering it wouldn't have got much of a run in the papers.

Don't try and fluff up what SBW did, especially with rubbish about media pressure. He was a golden boy, its not like he was getting beat up unfairly from journos. He had CH9 eating out the palm of his hand and copping good press. Things could be worse than being 22, earning the better part of half a mill a year to buggerize around with your mates and play footy and have everyone loving you.

[Ryan]

But he left some charity for menigicocal (I know I buggered that word up but you know what I'm talking about) in the lurch a week or so out from some big charity dinner he was meant to be the main attraction at for 230 odd people at ridiculous prices per head.

Never fear though, for Greg Bird is here. He stuck his hand up and filled the gap left by Sonny. But thats positive League story so I'll understand if you missed it considering it wouldn't have got much of a run in the papers.

Don't try and fluff up what SBW did, especially with rubbish about media pressure. He was a golden boy, its not like he was getting beat up unfairly from journos. He had CH9 eating out the palm of his hand and copping good press. Things could be worse than being 22, earning the better part of half a mill a year to buggerize around with your mates and play footy and have everyone loving you.

Oui, Je pense qu'il a raison.....
("Ribbet, ribbet.....")

[Capital_Shark]

Oui, Je pense qu'il a raison.....
("Ribbet, ribbet.....")

You want what on your crossant?

[Helen]

He said a process server threw the papers over the fence of the training pitch after spotting Williams at a training session.

A Toulon trainer then picked up the documents and handed them to Williams, the court was told.

"As a bonus, Mr Williams was personally served," Justice Robert Austin said.

"Sounds like the job's been done."

Full Article

Helen

[Tamwelg]

Bulldogs' SBW injunction granted

By staff writers
August 08, 2008

THE New South Wales supreme court has granted the NRL and the Bulldogs an injunction to prevent Sonny Bill Williams from playing for French rugby club Toulon tonight.

Williams seems to have snubbed the court, by failing to send any representatives to the injunction hearing.

The court was satisfied Williams and Toulon received the legal papers requesting him to appear in court, after receiving confirmation that they were served to the player after they were thrown over a fence at the Toulon training ground and then handed to Williams.

NRL chief executive David Gallop welcomed the news and said the findings of Justice Austin highlighted the importance of a contract.

?There have been numerous attempts to distract the game from the fundamental issue, which is that a contract is a binding commitment on the part of both the player and the club,? Gallop said.

?It protects both parties and places responsibilities on both parties. The issuing of a NSW Supreme Court order in respect of those responsibilities should provide a stark reminder to Sonny Bill of the importance of him observing the terms of his contract.

"It is a very serious matter for such an order to be granted and anyone who breaks an order of the NSW Supreme Court would face contempt proceedings from that court.?

The NRL and the Bulldogs could face months of legal wrangling in France in their attempt to stop Williams playing rugby union there.

International sports law experts say while the French are likely to take the Australian-issued injunction seriously; they will have to be convinced that they should enforce the order on their home soil.

Williams also faces the prospect of being sued if he ignores the injunction and plays with his new Top 14 rugby club Toulon in the south of France in line with the one-year contract he recently signed.

One London-based international sports lawyer, who asked not to be named, said it was possible to have the injunction enforced based on a series of complex global treaties.

However it is unlikely to be a speedy process, with the French courts possibly even wanting to retry the case before making a decision.

"The rules relating to that are really complicated and require a court in France to enforce a judgment in Sydney will have to go through loads of hoops to make sure that works," the lawyer told AAP.

"The Australians will find it quite difficult to get an injunction and stop him playing in France this weekend.

"It's complicated and will be quite difficult to do."

The Australian-based legal firm Gadens Lawyers also believes there is a chance the French courts could reject the injunction.

"The French courts may take the view that enforcing the injunction would be against French public policy as it prevents a person from carrying on their trade," the firm said in an overview of the case published on its website.

Before the NSW Supreme Court ruling, Williams' new club was playing down the effect any injunction would have on their new star recruit.

"His contract is not contestable," Nicolas Pironneau, the club's talent scout who helped lure Williams to the south of France, told local newspaper Var-Matin.

"He is as free to play rugby and at RCT (Rugby Club Toulon) as he is to come from football or pole vaulting."

But Williams does face the prospect of being sued if he ignores the injunction and returns to Australia at any time in the future.

"My instinct is if he flouts the injunction and sets foot in Australia he will probably be a wanted man and sought for contempt of court for ignoring the judgment," another sports lawyer said.

Source - Fox Sports

[DIEHARD]

Injunction granted, very good.

But now Sonny Bill has played union for them in defiance of it...

I don't think that is smart legal advice.