Sonny-Bill to return in 2017?

[TheDalek079]

Wow.

It's being reported that at the launch of the NRL's Pacific Initiative, the 2013 RLIF International Player of the Year (ie SBW) announced that he may return to rugby league in 2017 after his contract with the New Zealand Rugby Union expires.


What do we all make of this?


Will he return?


Who will he play for?


Will he still be the best in the world?

 

[byrner]

I would love for him to return. Hopefully for a secong NZ side.

 

[Penrose Warrior]

I'm tempted to say 'f**k off Sonny' but in essence he's just answering a question fed to him.

To answer your questions:

I make of it that the way he changes his mind, he could be a transgender Hebrew Gaelic footballer by then. So I make nothing of what may happen next week let alone three years down the track.

Will he return? If I was a betting man, no not to the NRL. More money to be made elsewhere and I don't see what else he can achieve apart from a State of Origin title - which no doubt he'll make enquiries as to whether he can do.

*Insert latest overseas side with billionaire invester here*

Depends what Choc tells him he is.

 

[El Diablo]

Danny Weidler ‏@Danny_Weidlerhttps://twitter.com/Danny_Weidler/status/499460431073648640
The Rooster plan to bring @SonnyBWilliams back to the club and how the NRL can help. 9news6pm

 

[some11]

What athlete has changed codes and said "I'm never coming back".

Nothing story.

 

[shiznit]

I'd love to see the Warriors pick him up...

He's an Auckland rugby league product... He grew up supporting the club... It would only be fitting if he were to finish his career there.

But I'm sure tall poppy warriors supports would hate the idea...

 

[Tommy Smith]

Overrated player.

What has he done since his return to league for the Roosters?

Nothing. Zero impact. The naysayers are right. Just look at the facts!

So no, I can't imagine why the Roosters would want him back.

 

[TheDMC]

What athlete has changed codes and said "I'm never coming back".

Nothing story.

Hmm. Benji Marshall more or less. Something along the lines of never playing for another NRL club.

 

[DeeJ]

In 2017 will we have live SBW thoughts beamed straight to our tvs?

 

[TheDMC]

But I'm sure tall poppy warriors supports would hate the idea...

I think they would be a massively outnumbered...

 

[BranVan3000]

I hope he does and Sam Burgess too. What a waste having these guys in RU

 

[Packy]

ho hum.

Get Surgess back tho plz.

 

[Danish]

By 2017 the money to be made in the NRL will be higher than basically anywhere in the RU world so I wouldn't be surprised to see him back.

I reckon his original plan might have been to take up boxing after the RU World Cup but almost getting his clock cleaned by that old Saffa bloke probably made him think twice about that dream

 

[The Phelan Folly]

In 2017 will we have live SBW thoughts beamed straight to our tvs?

:lol:

 

[Usain Bolt]

2017 is the British Lions tour to NZ, so he might hang around for that. How old would he be, 31/32?

 

[eozsmiles]

I guess if SBW comes back then the fans of the club he joins will be pretty happy. Not sure that the thoughts of fans from other clubs will mean jack shit to anyone.

If he is one of the best 400 RL players in the world, then he should be in the NRL. Admittedly, he has bigger/different goals to the average player, but still, the ball has been dropped by letting him go and missing Izzy.

 

[rabbitohs95]

I hope he does and Sam Burgess too. What a waste having these guys in RU

This. But i just pray that the media don't have a massive wank over them. Sure, they should celebrate their return but not in the way they did when SBW returned last year...that was ridiculous :roll::roll::roll:

 

[TheDalek079]

2017 is the British Lions tour to NZ, so he might hang around for that. How old would he be, 31/32?

that may depend on his level of AB-ness. Ma'a will be retired/playing in France. Fekitoa will probably be in 13. Saili may or may not be international standard. If SBW remains fit that #12 should be his for that series (unless another superstar emerges). But if he spent 2016 chasing gold in Rio he may lose his AB jersey.

 

[Penrose Warrior]

I'd love to see the Warriors pick him up...

He's an Auckland rugby league product... He grew up supporting the club... It would only be fitting if he were to finish his career there.

But I'm sure tall poppy warriors supports would hate the idea...

Always thought tall poppy was a pretty funny way of looking at it. I'm sure those Warriors fans who don't want Sonny would happily have GI, Hayne, Surgess etc and they're pretty tall poppies who have achieved as much as, if not more than Sonny.

 

[shiznit]

Always thought tall poppy was a pretty funny way of looking at it. I'm sure those Warriors fans who don't want Sonny would happily have GI, Hayne, Surgess etc and they're pretty tall poppies who have achieved as much as, if not more than Sonny.

But the reason they don't want SBW isn't based in what he has achieved...

It's based on the fact that he's a Kiwi... and he's different to other star athletes as he doesn't pigeon hole himself to one sport.

For some reason that pisses New Zealanders off... It's not just RL fans either... NZ Rugby fans are the same.