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http://www.stuff.co.nz/sundaynews/4641291a15620.html
Kiwis coach Kearney: Sonny Bill was snatched from under my nose
AARON LAWTON - Sunday News | Sunday, 03 August 2008
SONNY Bill Williams was poached from league to rugby by former All Blacks captain Tana Umaga right under the nose of Kiwis coach Stephen Kearney.
Sunday News can reveal Umaga spent three days with Kearney in Melbourne last month, where he told him of his plans for Williams in union.
"Tana's coaching Toulon and he was passing through Melbourne on his way home," Kearney told Sunday News.
"Tana was up front with me. He said, `I've spoken Sonny's management group', and he made sure to keep me in the loop of what was going on.
"I was certainly aware of his interest in Sonny and he was here doing the sly."
But Kearney, who played with Umaga in the Junior Kiwis in 1991, said he felt powerless to stop him luring Williams to rich French club Toulon on a reported $3.9 million for two years.
"He (Umaga) got me a little beauty," Kearney joked.
"I made Tana aware of what the plans were for Sonny, not only for the World Cup but also our game in New Zealand.
"(But) who am I to step in and interfere? What I can tell you is Tana did tell me that he and Sonny had been communicating."
Assistant Melbourne Storm coach Kearney, who has been a mentor to Sonny Bill, was aware of potential fallout at his failure to keep the superstar in the game and in his Kiwis side in the lead-up to October's Rugby League World Cup.
But he said Williams had confided in him about "private" issues which would have contributed to his decision to walk out on the Bulldogs eight days ago.
"I haven't talked to him since he left (Australia for France) but I know it doesn't look good for me when I've been mentoring the guy and he's pissed off overseas," he said.
"If Sonny hadn't been in a position he was in, I'm not too sure he would have made that move to Toulon.
"Had a few other areas in his life been more settled, we probably wouldn't be talking today about it.
"I could sense his frustration with a few things when we talked.
"It would have been very hard for me to comment or advise him because I've never been in the position he has been in.
"As a friend, those issues are between him and I and that's how they should stay."
Kearney said while William's decision to abandon the Bulldogs midway through the season had been widely condemned, critics shouldn't be so quick to judge him.
"It's not the ideal and I do feel for the Bulldogs and the players at the club but unless you know the whole situation it's hard to pass judgement," he said.
"I'm not saying what he did was the right thing to do but he is a young guy at 22 and we have to look at exactly why he made this decision.
"I think he was dealing with a lot of issues and I don't think his situation is over."
Williams has been playing cat and mouse with media and New South Wales court officials since the saga began.
The NRL will ask the NSW Supreme Court on Tuesday to grant an injunction which would prevent Williams from breaking his five-year contract with the Bulldogs.
A subpoena for him to appear at the injunction hearing must be served on Williams who was granted a visa from French consulate officials in London last week by 8pm today.
The International Rugby Board has refused to intervene in the matter but France's club rugby president Serge Blanco has encouraged Williams to finish the season with the Bulldogs before moving to Toulon.
Kiwis coach Kearney: Sonny Bill was snatched from under my nose
AARON LAWTON - Sunday News | Sunday, 03 August 2008
SONNY Bill Williams was poached from league to rugby by former All Blacks captain Tana Umaga right under the nose of Kiwis coach Stephen Kearney.
Sunday News can reveal Umaga spent three days with Kearney in Melbourne last month, where he told him of his plans for Williams in union.
"Tana's coaching Toulon and he was passing through Melbourne on his way home," Kearney told Sunday News.
"Tana was up front with me. He said, `I've spoken Sonny's management group', and he made sure to keep me in the loop of what was going on.
"I was certainly aware of his interest in Sonny and he was here doing the sly."
But Kearney, who played with Umaga in the Junior Kiwis in 1991, said he felt powerless to stop him luring Williams to rich French club Toulon on a reported $3.9 million for two years.
"He (Umaga) got me a little beauty," Kearney joked.
"I made Tana aware of what the plans were for Sonny, not only for the World Cup but also our game in New Zealand.
"(But) who am I to step in and interfere? What I can tell you is Tana did tell me that he and Sonny had been communicating."
Assistant Melbourne Storm coach Kearney, who has been a mentor to Sonny Bill, was aware of potential fallout at his failure to keep the superstar in the game and in his Kiwis side in the lead-up to October's Rugby League World Cup.
But he said Williams had confided in him about "private" issues which would have contributed to his decision to walk out on the Bulldogs eight days ago.
"I haven't talked to him since he left (Australia for France) but I know it doesn't look good for me when I've been mentoring the guy and he's pissed off overseas," he said.
"If Sonny hadn't been in a position he was in, I'm not too sure he would have made that move to Toulon.
"Had a few other areas in his life been more settled, we probably wouldn't be talking today about it.
"I could sense his frustration with a few things when we talked.
"It would have been very hard for me to comment or advise him because I've never been in the position he has been in.
"As a friend, those issues are between him and I and that's how they should stay."
Kearney said while William's decision to abandon the Bulldogs midway through the season had been widely condemned, critics shouldn't be so quick to judge him.
"It's not the ideal and I do feel for the Bulldogs and the players at the club but unless you know the whole situation it's hard to pass judgement," he said.
"I'm not saying what he did was the right thing to do but he is a young guy at 22 and we have to look at exactly why he made this decision.
"I think he was dealing with a lot of issues and I don't think his situation is over."
Williams has been playing cat and mouse with media and New South Wales court officials since the saga began.
The NRL will ask the NSW Supreme Court on Tuesday to grant an injunction which would prevent Williams from breaking his five-year contract with the Bulldogs.
A subpoena for him to appear at the injunction hearing must be served on Williams who was granted a visa from French consulate officials in London last week by 8pm today.
The International Rugby Board has refused to intervene in the matter but France's club rugby president Serge Blanco has encouraged Williams to finish the season with the Bulldogs before moving to Toulon.