Williams's bid for Test captaincy
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Sunny days ahead
Bulldog Sonny Bill Williams surfs at North Cronulla yesterday.
Sunny days ahead
Bulldog Sonny Bill Williams surfs at North Cronulla yesterday.
Photo: Craig Golding
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Brad Walter
November 30, 2006
SONNY Bill Williams has been touted as the next New Zealand Test captain - and the 21-year-old Bulldogs star says he is ready to assume a leadership role.
With Ruben Wiki, Nigel Vagana and Stacey Jones announcing their international retirements after last Saturday night's golden-point Tri-Nations final loss, the Kiwis have lost a wealth of experience. Williams admitted that he and the likes of Wests Tigers playmaker Benji Marshall would have to step up next season to help fill the void.
The pair again missed the end-of-season tournament but are seen as the key figures in ensuring New Zealand's Test revival after they won last year's final and fell just short of repeating the feat when Australian captain Darren Lockyer scored an 87th-minute try.
While most of the focus over the coming months will be on negotiations for a new contract, Williams said yesterday he was already looking towards his next Test appearance with the Kiwis.
"The boys went so well and not being a part of it was pretty shattering," he told reporters at North Cronulla after helping the Bulldogs promote the PCYC's Ride the Wave of Respect program.
"In saying that, I'm only 21 and hopefully there's a lot more Tests for me to be in."
Between them, Wiki, Jones and Vagana had played 139 Tests and held down key positions in the Kiwis' side.
Marshall, South Sydney halfback Jeremy Smith and Bulldogs utility Ben Roberts are likely to take over the halves roles filled by Jones and Vagana, while there is no shortage of front-rowers ready to, at least, fill Wiki's jersey.
"With them boys leaving, us young fellas are gonna have to step up," Williams said. "I'm guessing Benji is gonna be in the team next year, and he'll have to step up, and all us young forwards are gonna have to step up, too."
But with no standout candidate for the captaincy, former New Zealand coach Graham Lowe urged Brian McClennan to appoint Williams as Wiki's long-term successor.
"In his search for a new leader, [McClennan] should be dialling Sonny Bill Williams and straight after that the Bulldogs and put the both of them on notice: Sonny Bill is required for captaincy duties forthwith," Lowe wrote in the New Zealand Herald.
With Williams certain to be in huge demand when he comes off contract at the end of next season, the Bulldogs are preparing to offer him a new deal but will have to better the $400,000- a-season they signed him for two years ago.
Williams knocked back a deal worth the equivalent of $900,000 a season from St Helens to stay but he refused to rule out a move to the British Super League this time - although he does not want to leave the Bulldogs if they can come up with a suitable offer.
"Nothing has been ruled out at this stage," he said. "The fact that I'm only 21 is going to play a big part. Hopefully I can stay with the Bulldogs, but my manager hasn't started talking yet with the club, so we'll see how we go."
Meanwhile, Peter Holmes a Court and Russell Crowe have gained control of South Sydney Leagues Club after members rejected plans to relocate the licensed premises to Alexandria and overwhelmingly backed their redevelopment proposal.
The football club-backed bid was one of seven that leagues club members had been asked to vote on over three days from last Sunday and attracted 67 per cent of the primary ballot.
It is now unlikely that George Piggins will contest elections for the board at the upcoming AGM.
