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By Colin Spiro 19th August 2008
 His name
conjures images of the Wild West and until recently his
rugby prowess was largely unknown within the Union world,
but Toulon's protracted and controversial signing of
Australia's National Rugby League star Sonny 'Bill' Williams
could have a seismic effect on the future of rugby - Union
and League - both here and in the southern hemisphere.
Firstly, now that it
has been resolved, the transfer is a massive coup for the
newly promoted Top14 club currently trying to build a squad
fit for survival under the tutelage of coach and Tana Umaga.
The former
Canterbury Bulldogs player not only continues the drift of
code-switchers from southern hemisphere rugby league -
following the signings of such players as Craig Gower (by
Bayonne last year) and Mark Gasnier (by Stade Francais this
year) - but also confirms both the draw of the Euro and the
lure of playing club rugby in France.
Top14, together with
the Guinness Premiership, now boasts a roster of quality
international players moving to Europe, but the difference
between now and five years ago is that these players are
increasingly coming over in the prime rather than twilight
of their careers.
Perpignan's capture
of Dan Carter has forced the All Blacks into a selectorial
back-down and now Toulon's signing of fellow Kiwi Williams
has shown the financial muscle of French club rugby.
The Bulldogs, quite
understandably, were none too happy to see their star player
leg it to Europe with four years still left on his contract,
but ultimately money talks, and in this case it positively
shouted.
Put quite simply, Toulon identified their man and then went
all out to get him. The only likely stumbling block, despite
the various threats of legal action, was going to be money,
in the shape of a suitable pay-off, and once that was sorted
the transfer was always going to be ratified.
The idea of Aussie
snatch-squads sent over to smuggle their errant League star
back into the country was amusing but irrelevant. As was the
prospect of Williams becoming a rugby martyr for his
willingness to cash in on his demand "I stand by my
convictions," he said as the case heated up, "and if they
want to send me to jail for what I believe in, then so be
it."
The Bulldogs needed
to make some sort of stand to save public face, and they
also wanted compensation. With those two goals now safely in
the bag Williams is free to train and play with Toulon as he
begins the tricky process of transferring his skills from
one code to another. There are no guarantees he will be a
success, but his potential is obvious, with the player
himself targeting an All Blacks debut as one of his major
long-term goals.
Toulon president
Mourad Boudjellal this week confirmed a "financial
agreement" had been struck between the two clubs, adding
that Williams himself would be paying most of the
compensation package - presumably because his new contract
is so lucrative. He also went on to describe Williams as an
amalgam of Jonah Lomu and Bryan Habana, as if our appetite
needed whetting more.
The Bulldogs made a
similar public pronouncement - about the financial pay off,
not the scary rugby player bit - after Toulon's 12-19
friendly defeat to Toulouse, but they still couldn't resist
sniping at Williams for "abandoning" the club.
It means the New
South Wales Court can now stand down after threatening to
seize Williams' assets back home and attention can fully
turn to his eagerly anticipated Top14 debut against Clermont
on August 26th.
That may be the
short term resolution but the longer one remains intriguing.
Will other NRL stars now be tempted to throw in their lot
with French union clubs, bypassing the NRL wage-cap on the
way to new-found European riches? If so, what impact would
the departure of the likes of State of Origin players Israel
Folau and and Greg Inglis have on the future of the game
Down Under?
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