From news.com.au
Jones was just joking
By Bret Harris and Stuart Honeysett
February 14, 2005
WALLABIES coach Eddie Jones was only joking when he claimed Kiwi teenage superstar Sonny Bill Williams was too small and too slow to successfully switch codes.
Williams ... All agree he is a special talent. /File
Jones told a testimonial dinner for former NSW cricketer Richard Chee Quee last week that Williams was too small to play number eight or blindside flanker and too slow for openside flanker.
But Jones, who is in London on a reconnaissance mission for the Wallabies' tour to the UK and Ireland in November, said yesterday he was just trying to entertain the dinner guests.
"Graeme Hughes (compere) asked me a question and I just had a bit of fun with the answer," Jones said. "Everything I said was all in jest.
"But why do we (rugby union) get thrown up every time a rugby league guy comes off contract. We have no interest in Sonny Bill at this stage."
Williams, 19, is a free agent after this year and a series of barnstorming games for the Bulldogs and New Zealand has some player managers estimating his market value at $500,000 a season.
That would test the budget of any NRL club, which has to accommodate 25 players under the league's $3.25 million salary cap, but would pose little problem for a cashed-up ARU.
NZRL chairman Selwyn Pearson yesterday described Jones's comments as "unbelievable", saying he was under no illusion Williams would be targeted by rugby union.
"The guy is an unbelievable athlete. What is he, 19 years of age?" Pearson said yesterday.
"And I tell you what, he mightn't be the biggest bloke, but by christ Eddie Jones wants to get a doctor to have a look at the size of his ticker.
"If you're going to target someone like Sonny Bill you need to make as little noise as possible, you need to act quite stealthily because every person that shows an interest gets involved in a bidding war."
Pearson added rugby powerbrokers had shown in the past that they didn't always reveal their hand when targeting league converts.
It was only last year that Newcastle captain Andrew Johns was at the centre of a failed bid by the NSWRU to lure him to the Waratahs.
"They weren't interested in Wendell Sailor or Lote Tuqiri either," Pearson said.
"Those sorts of blokes are just such special, special athletes in anything they do.
"I mean they could pick up a tennis racquet or a golf club and beat you and then wallop you afterwards at pool too."
Kiwi coach Daniel Anderson didn't want to get into a slanging match with Jones but said he'd be happy if rugby wasn't interested in Williams.
"Sonny's a pretty special athlete," Anderson said.
"He stands (195cm), he's very quick and I know that because I've seen him up close. He's as quick as any outside back in rugby league and he's lean.
"I can't put him into perspective in rugby union but I've seen union players who aren't as big as him be successful."
Williams' management team, Pacific Sports, say negotiations were heading towards Williams staying at Belmore.
The Australian
