Sonny Bill out of the Tri-Nations

[AuckMel]

At least the Dogs haven't stopped players who no longer play for them from competing.

http://stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3815037a1823,00.html

01 October 2006

By STEVE KILGALLON

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, MS Sans Serif]Bulldogs star Sonny Bill Williams, who needs urgent knee surgery, is out of the New Zealand team for the defence of its Tri-Nations league title.[/FONT]


[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, MS Sans Serif][/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, MS Sans Serif]Williams withdrew from the Kiwis squad yesterday morning after being told by his club he needs an immediate operation on his troublesome knee. [/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, MS Sans Serif]Kiwis coach Brian McClennan told the Sunday Star-Times the news had came as a "real blow". [/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, MS Sans Serif]"I'm really disappointed for Sonny," he said. "It's the second Tri-Nations he has had to miss and I know he was really devastated about missing being part of the Kiwis last year." [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, MS Sans Serif]After conducting Williams' post-season medical, Bulldogs doctor Hugh Hazard recommended he withdraw, and the Kiwis - through their medic Simon Mayhew - conceded to the Bulldogs that he wouldn't be fit enough to play in the three-cornered series, which starts with New Zealand versus Australia in Auckland on October 14. [/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, MS Sans Serif]Bulldogs winger Matt Utai also withdrew yesterday - the third season in a row he has been unavailable for test football - after the Kiwis were advised he would only be able to train once a week due to an ankle injury that needs surgery. [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, MS Sans Serif]But key prop forward Roy Asotasi was cleared after recovering from knee ligament damage. [/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, MS Sans Serif]"It's the nature of our game, at the end of the season there are going to be guys who need surgery and become unavailable. It is no use crying over spilt milk," McClennan said. [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, MS Sans Serif]"One person misses out, another gets an opportunity. Who's to say the new blokes who get their chance won't stand up and become great Kiwis? [/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, MS Sans Serif]"From where I stand, right now, I'd put my money on a few of these boys becoming household names in a Kiwi jersey. There is a bit more youth to this team and it is an exciting-looking team. [/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, MS Sans Serif]"They have a lot to live up to, but they are young and enthusiastic and they have every chance to go on and do great things together." [/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, MS Sans Serif]The New Zealand Rugby League engaged in angry exchanges with the Bulldogs last year over player releases, with chairman Selwyn Bennett ignoring a please-explain letter from the club's chairman Malcolm Noad over some inflammatory comments, then later declaring the Bulldogs and Wests Tigers were "playing us (the NZRL) for dummies". [/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, MS Sans Serif]But Bennett said yesterday he had no complaints this time. [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, MS Sans Serif]"We're not unhappy - it is his (Sonny Bill's) future and we would be irresponsible if we played him," Bennett said. [/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, MS Sans Serif]After Mayhew studied medical reports, McClennan said he had no complaint about the Bulldogs' approach, saying: "They knew his knee wasn't right. He was following a rehab programme to get through their games and by the end he was pretty much only running once a week and playing with a bit of pain." [/FONT]

 

[JasonE]

This is bad news for NZ and the Tri Nations, just a shame that the teams are never at full strength.

 

[hitamn]

1 year that all i ask, to have a full strength seris to see how close international teams have really come

 

[International RL]

1 year that all i ask, to have a full strength seris to see how close international teams have really come

EXACTLY!

!#!@#!@#!@#!@#T$%^&%^^YSDFV


I'm a furious/devestated.

 

[Scubby]

EXACTLY!

!#!@#!@#!@#!@#T$%^&%^^YSDFV


I'm a furious/devestated.

The Dogs, The NRL and the ARL are a disgrace to this game. If it is not dodgy judiciary suspensions the week before the Anzac test (which shouldn't count for Internationals anyway) it is NRL clubs pulling Kiwi players out of the end of season tests.

The Doggies have been a disgrace. Are they saying that SBW and Utai would not have played this week had they made the GF? End of season surgery should come at the end of the bl**dy season not when the Dogs have been knocked out of the play-offs. In 2006 the season runs until November 25th.

I too am absolutely p*ss*d off with the lot of them. SBW is the biggest drawcard in NZ - what is bl**dy disgrace. [-X [-X [-X [-X

 

[fourplay]

Lesley Vainikolo is out aswell so thats their top 2 wingers gone.

Great Britain captain Paul Sculthorpe is out too.

 

[PARRA_FAN]

If NZL win the Tri Nations it'll be an even bigger victory than last year's. They werent at full strength last year yet still managed to win. Every year there's always players pulling out, not just from NZL but also GB and Australia, because NRL clubs want their players having off season surgery, they just dont give a sh*tt about International RL. Could you imagine if they did this for the WC.

 

[Pierced Soul]

given SBW run with injuries are u surprised he isnt fit? I would have been more surprised had he been fit....

and for Australia Luke Baily has missed the past few end of year internationals....

 

[The Devil]

The Dogs, The NRL and the ARL are a disgrace to this game. If it is not dodgy judiciary suspensions the week before the Anzac test (which shouldn't count for Internationals anyway) it is NRL clubs pulling Kiwi players out of the end of season tests.

The Doggies have been a disgrace. Are they saying that SBW and Utai would not have played this week had they made the GF? End of season surgery should come at the end of the bl**dy season not when the Dogs have been knocked out of the play-offs. In 2006 the season runs until November 25th.

I too am absolutely p*ss*d off with the lot of them. SBW is the biggest drawcard in NZ - what is bl**dy disgrace. [-X [-X [-X [-X

The Bulldogs are the club that pays his wages, not the NZRL. So if Canterbury say he isn't fit enough to play in the Tri-Nations then they are entitled to do so. Any insurance that the NZRL can offer them is not worth half a season if he does indeed break down during a test match.

They aren't out to ruin NZ Rugby League, they are looking out in the best interests of their own club. SBW is also quite young and will have quite a few Tri-Nations in the future alongside Benji Marshall

 

[Lockyer4President!]

The Bulldogs are the club that pays his wages, not the NZRL. So if Canterbury say he isn't fit enough to play in the Tri-Nations then they are entitled to do so. Any insurance that the NZRL can offer them is not worth half a season if he does indeed break down during a test match.

They aren't out to ruin NZ Rugby League, they are looking out in the best interests of their own club. SBW is also quite young and will have quite a few Tri-Nations in the future alongside Benji Marshall

It's a sh*tty thing to do when euro soccer clubs rule out Aussies from playing internationals and it's a sh*tty thing to do when NRL/ESL clubs do it to the Kiwi's.

 

[ozbash]

They aren't out to ruin NZ Rugby League, they are looking out in the best interests of their own club. SBW is also quite young and will have quite a few Tri-Nations in the future alongside Benji Marshall

crap. the aussies have done their best to level the playing field.

its called cheating.

 

[douglasallen91]

i heard sbw isn't even having surgery. and they called it immediate surgery is required.

 

[carlnz]

Wait till the World Cup - thi will happen again!!

I bet my life on the reason why they let them (Sonny and Benji) play the ANZAC test is so they could pull them out of the Tri Nations. If Benji was fit i bet you he would of been pulled to, so the clubs can turn around and say we support International Footy we let them play the ANZAC test!

 

[marshall stalin]

they should be playing as what is wrong with them and the youth of today - what if they were in a war - oh "i cannot be involved in combat today as i have a bad knee" they may as well wear skirts and makeup these players- what about the players crying on the field after the game - absolutely a disgrace as it's a game it's not life and death.- whimpy youth!!!!

whimpy youth of today need to be toughened up and quickly - BRING BACK MILITARY SERVICE which includes combat service overseas

 

[Nook]

Sonny is a big boy. If he wanted to play in the Trinations, he would be playing in the Trinations.

No RL club in its right mind is going to tell a superstar like Williams or Marshall that they aren't allowed to play for their country. They'd be off in a flash next time contracts came up.

Williams has battled all year and obviously agreed with his club doctor that long term he'd be better off sitting the Trinations out.

But any excuse to have a whinge, eh bro?

 

[ozbash]

Sonny is a big boy. If he wanted to play in the Trinations, he would be playing in the Trinations.

No RL club in its right mind is going to tell a superstar like Williams or Marshall that they aren't allowed to play for their country. They'd be off in a flash next time contracts came up.

Williams has battled all year and obviously agreed with his club doctor that long term he'd be better off sitting the Trinations out.

But any excuse to have a whinge, eh bro?

you,re full of sh*t nook. you dont know wtf you are on about.

ARL Doc = hazzard
bulldogs doc = hazzard

" you play tri nations and bugger up that leg sonny, we,ll rip up your contract"

obviously what ? SBW has said himself very recently that he was looking forward to playing.

you are full of sh*t nook.

 

[douglasallen91]

Sonny is a big boy. If he wanted to play in the Trinations, he would be playing in the Trinations.

No RL club in its right mind is going to tell a superstar like Williams or Marshall that they aren't allowed to play for their country. They'd be off in a flash next time contracts came up.

Williams has battled all year and obviously agreed with his club doctor that long term he'd be better off sitting the Trinations out.

But any excuse to have a whinge, eh bro?

tony puletua was threatened with a fine by penrith to stop him play for the kiwis a few years ago.

vinnie anderson was told to rest an injury and not tour, vinnie went on the tour and was fired by the warriors.

don't let the facts get in the way of your story.

 

[Charge]

The thing is, GB and NZ have the same problem - a lack of strength in depth. When the top players (who are probably about as good as Aus players) get injured, the next best are normally a division or two below in the quality level.

It doesn't really matter for Aus if their top players get injured - all their replacements are nearly as good.

 

[Nook]

you,re full of sh*t nook. you dont know wtf you are on about.

ARL Doc = hazzard
bulldogs doc = hazzard

" you play tri nations and bugger up that leg sonny, we,ll rip up your contract"

obviously what ? SBW has said himself very recently that he was looking forward to playing.

:lol: @ the Bulldogs threatening to tear up Sonny Bill's contract.

Here's an alternate scenario:

Bulldogs: Sonny, you can't play in the Trinations, or else
Sonny: Or else what? What are you going to do, fire me? Fine me?
Bulldogs: ....

As I said the clubs would be mad the jeapordise their relationships with star players like Williams and Marshall by trying to force them not to play for NZ.

As DouglasAllen rightly points out it is a different situation for most players, even the likes of Puletua, and there is a genuine concern there about clubs exerting pressure on these blokes.

But the bottom line is that if Williams wanted to play in this trinations in pain and put his preparation for next season back a month or two, he would be. No question. He doesn't and that is fair enough.

PS, is Hazzard the Kiwi doctor too?

 

[JJ]

:lol: @ the Bulldogs threatening to tear up Sonny Bill's contract.

Here's an alternate scenario:

Bulldogs: Sonny, you can't play in the Trinations, or else
Sonny: Or else what? What are you going to do, fire me? Fine me?
Bulldogs: ....

that about it...:lol: