http://www.leaguehq.com.au/news/news/richo-to-the-rescue/2008/08/16/1218307316403.html
Richo to the rescue
Danny Wiedler | August 17, 2008
SONNY BILL WILLIAMS has never met or talked to the man who has
freed him from the shackles of a contract with the Bulldogs to continue playing rugby union with French club Toulon, but Graham Richardson can expect a big thank you this week.
Williams hasn't been represented in court for any of the subpoena hearings, but his agent/friend Khoder Nasser wasn't leaving him high and dry.
Nasser scoured the city to find the best in the business. On the advice of some of his closest contacts including Hurstville solicitor Jack Jakova he chose Mark O'Brien. And Nasser took O'Brien's advice from the moment he was sure that Williams wouldn't be in town to finish the season.
After Williams played his first trial last week, O'Brien could sense the only solution to this situation was a settlement. Nasser and Williams were prepared to be in contempt of court and would have played against Toulouse if O'Brien hadn't called on his close friend and former Federal Government minister Richardson to broker a deal.
"He called me on Tuesday and said there was a situation he needed sorting and could I help," Richardson said.
"Mark is one of my best mates so I was happy to get involved and I also know Khoder and have always got on well with him."
Richardson is a big Dragons fan, was an admirer of Anthony Mundine and, as it happens, drinks coffee at Mundine's cafe in Hurstville, Boxa Bar, which is managed by Nasser.
"I'd have a coffee in there once or twice a month and always had a chat with Khoder," Richardson said.
"I was watching this situation and, to be honest, I could see merit in both sides.
"I could see that the NRL needed to uphold its contract system. But I could see where Sonny Bill was coming from. These blokes have a limited time to make top dollar - eight or nine years - and if you are looking at $400,000 to play with a club here or four times that in France it's not a hard decision.
"If it was your kid, you'd say 'take it up, son'. I've never met Sonny or talked to him, but that didn't mean I couldn't understand where he was coming from.
"I thought it was a situation which could be solved and I got involved."
So while Sonny Bill was dining on baguettes and green tea in Toulon, it was a Chinese meal in suburban Concord that has freed him to enjoy the spoils of his $1.5 million deal.
"I played a round of golf on Wednesday morning in Concord and had a Chinese lunch with George Peponis and his legal adviser," Richardson said.
"Initially we went in with the thought of settling the matter for $200,000, but the Dogs were very angry and I could see that wasn't going to happen.
"But the talks started then and George was very open to the idea of settling the matter.
"I had several phone conversations during the week with George and I want to make it clear, despite reports, I have never talked with Todd Greenberg about this matter.
"And from the other side, Mark O'Brien has been dealing with Khoder more than I have.
"Nor has Toulon been involved. Nor have I been in France. This was a conversation between myself, Khoder and the Bulldogs. All my dealings were with George.
"Toulon has nothing to do with any of this. This is about Sonny Bill making a payment to the Dogs not about his club in France bailing him out."
And, as Nine News revealed on Friday night, the payment is $750,000 - an unheard-of amount in Australian sport.
"We took $750,000 to them and I still think that we paid too much, but in the end it's a payment for the kid's freedom," he said.
"They were lining the battleships up and I know Sonny Bill was ready for war. He was going to play in the trial against Toulouse but Mark and I asked Khoder to call him off because we were in negotiations so they did. They weren't worried about the legal threat."
The Bulldogs board initially rejected the offer on Friday.
"They said they wanted $1million," Richardson said.
"I told them that was never going to happen and told them they were ready to fight. An hour later they called back and accepted it. In the end, a court case wasn't going to help anyone. Both sides got what they wanted. And everyone goes with their honour."
The NRL didn't really want Sonny Bill to leave with too much honour.
It's my understanding it wanted him to apologise to the game he deserted.
"That was mentioned to me but my concern has been doing the deal with the Bulldogs," Richardson said. "Nothing more than that."
And yesterday O'Brien was locked away in his office creating the settlement document. The Bulldogs stipulated that Williams be banned from playing for another NRL club until the end of the contract he broke, which was due to expire in 2012. The club also demanded that the compensation be paid in full by tomorrow.
Richardson, meanwhile, was left to cope with the half-truths and the headlines. "There was so much that was mis-reported," he said. "And I've had people asking me what I got for doing the deal. Nothing is the answer. And I paid for the Chinese lunch so I'm out of pocket."
Now that Williams is able to re-enter Australia he will be looking Richardson up on his return. And the dim sims will be on him.
Danny Weidler is a sports reporter for Channel Nine news and The Footy Show.
