SBW - an issue with his Ego??

Question

You think he did the right thing? Can you tust him not to do the same thing to Union? I think all the media hype has gone to his head. He should see out his contract with the Bulldogs before he switch codes.

Did he do the right thing??

Answer 1

SWB showed great maturity in walking out on a contract that was ill advised in the first place.  How many players have ever signed a 5 year contract in their hey day and for a pittance at that?  The club knew his value and with the wrong advice given by SWB former manager, SWB was conned into a contract that locked the most promising player and NRL product into a one sided deal for the benefit of Bulldogs only.  

This young man weighed his options and hopefully with the best legal advice has found a clause in the contract to set him free.  Good luck to you Sonny Bill and much of God's blessings on your side!

Answer 2

SBW has every right to earn what he believes he is worth and no doubt he will repay Toulon back on a performance level and do justice to their investment. He is an outright athlete and I am sure he will not make a mockery of his new appointment. Most people have been in the same situation in their careers as I have been recently being made redundant for a massive management stuff up at my former employer. You have to look after number 1 as no one else will.

Many many people are not happy at where they may work so they always look for opportunities to better place themselves within the market or at their current place of employment. We all at some degree market ourselves (especially at performance appraisal time) to ensure that we maintain security, value and self satisfaction in our careers.

What is so different to what SBW did to what the majority of us do. He just did it on a grander scale. There are thousands of corporate managers that ensure there is a get out clause within their contracts so that they do not undervalue and sacrifice an income when they decide to walk. Maybe thats what SBW didnt do is have a well written contract that best supports his interests and not the clubs. Look at our Super 14 franchises, they also treat all the playing personel as cattle. They could be in africa one day then sacked and playing club rugby for the remainder of the season. With a lot of our AB players moving overseas to play it is mainly that they can see that their playing days are numbered in the black jersey and they are looking at the financial positives as players for their retirement. There are only a small number of radio and tv jobs for these guys.

I do not think the hype has gotten to him at all. He has been a media star in Sydney and has been for the past 4 years so it is nothing he is not used to.

Basically if your unhappy where you work then look for other opportunities. If he remained at the dogs for the next 4 years he would have lost his motivation to play fairly quickly as he has not been happy there for a few years. For what he did I do not condone but I fully support him ensuring a future for himself and his family. Number 1 only can look after number 1 and that is a life reality.

Answer 3

He signed a contract for a long time with the Bulldogs and he wanted out. Is that so bad. I'm not saying he did the right thing. But apart from being binned the first match he was in the French league, he is and will do great in Rugby. Who knows, maybe he will make the ABs

Answer 4

His manager needs kick in the bum. Twenty three year old kid made a bad call and looks like a fool - anybody would think he had no management. Life time bans should not be leveled at anyone with quality managment.

He won't do the same thing with union, Tana and Jerry will soon take him to school and show him what it is to be a pro. And . . . where the h**l can he jump to from union ? NRL won't touch him again.

Answer 5

I think SBW's contract with Toulon says it all. One year with an option to extend. I consider that his future employers will probably go the same way so they won't get burned.

What seems to be forgotten in the contract dispute is that there have been plenty of other players and coaches who have had their contracts terminated by their clubs. Some have been lucky and have gotten new contracts with other clubs while others have had to go overseas or retire. It was quite noticeable that the NRL has not jumped up and down at these cases but attacks a player who has done what most clubs have done.

Answer 6

Well of course it sounds bad.

He walked out on a four year contract.

He didn't tell his team mates.

He didn't tell the public.

But then again I don't think we can trust the NRL executives either, they'll be wanting to put their best story out there to make SBW out to look bad.

I believe he did the right thing however, if he truly wanted to further his career. Imagine if he had stayed with the Bulldogs until the end of his 4 year contract. He'd be 26, still young but getting on a bit, he'll have less time to develop as a player.

Now he's 22, and with enough raw talent to be put onto the All Blacks as maybe a back up second-five, or even center.

I think he'd be fine with honour, the big reason why  I think he left for france was it would be far more difficult for him to enter a New Zealand club, the Aussies would be all over him in a second. But I think we can expect him here at the end of his contract. Besides, if he walked out on union as well, then there wouldn't be anything left in rugby for him to go to.

We're always talking about the big player drain, I think he could be as great as Lomu even, and yet hes not playing in NZ. I think thats the real disappointment.

Answer 7

His head is far too inflated.

He should sought out his contract first then play for toulon.

The NZRFU should not consider him until he has done this.

You can't just walk away from a contract and expect nothing to ever happen.  

Clearly he hasn't thought about the future because what happens when he makes a NZ super14 franchise and has to go to Australia to play? This is when Australia will get him.  

Anthony Mundine is a bad role model especially when it comes to his  attitude.

Also in SBW's interview on the footy show, he was just blaming everyone and was angry.  24 year old, mixed with anger and a low level of maturity equals disaster.

As with the All Blacks, each player is humble and professional, SBW's doesn't seem to quite fit in with this.

Well, only time will tell.  He needs to lose the attitude!

Answer 8

Going for a sport with better pay prospects and enjoyment as a challenge are wise choices for any professional. If SBW is not happy with the Bulldogs or league then is perfectly OK for him to make a move. Especially at his young age and if he needs to support family. Other league players have down the same in the past. To give him credit, he is doing it in his prime, not in his latter or twilight years like other converts of the past to union. Has still 2 or 3 years to develop in the game to make the ABs if he cann manage to get to that level and impress.

Answer 9

A lot of you people are missing the point...of course hes entitled to earn as much as he likes. BUT HE SIGNED A CONTRACT! And to make it worse, he left without telling anyone! If he just approached the Bulldogs management, and told them he didn't want to play, i'm sure they would of released him after a bit of $ compensation from Toulon, but instead he sneakily runs off in a cowardly act.

Answer 10

He has a point in fairness. Sonny bill Williams has a right to earn as much money as he is capable of making. That was never going to happen with the Bulldogs because of the Salary cap. I think it was wrong for them to try and tie him down for five years with no possibility of release. Nothing to do with ego, he just wants more money. If you could go and earn almost three or four times as much as you do now, would you?

Answer 11

To be honest, I think he did the right thing.  People walk out of their jobs everyday.  After all the bad press with the Bulldogs in the last few years, who wants to play for them? In union, I'd say he would get looked after better.  Where would you chose, to live South of France or Sydney? The NRL are only upset with this because they might think taht many more players will do the same thing.

Answer 12

He broke a contract, one of the most fundamental laws of our country.  In Australia unless he can find a legitimate reason for not performing the contract he's in deep do-do.  They could jail him or take away his Australian house.

While personally I think he was badly advised by managers and (boxer) friends and he may pay dearly for trusting their advice.

However I now wouldn't trust him to carry out the trash.  He broke his word to his team mates and walked out.  That says a lot about a person.