News
Sonny shows no remorse
August 07 2008
Sonny Bill Williams insists he has no reason to apologise despite walking out on the Canterbury Bulldogs to join Toulon.
Williams opted to switch codes and leave the Bulldogs, his club side in the NRL, midway through his contract to join up with the Top 14 club.
The 23-year-old claims he did a runner from the NRL to bring attention to the plight of 'underpaid' players and their treatment at the hands of 'uncaring' officials.
In a rambling interview on Channel Nine's Footy Show on Thursday, in which he referred to himself in the third person and frequently contradicted himself, the New Zealand international declared his move was "ballsy" and not motivated by money.
Asked if he wanted to apologise to the Bulldogs fans for walking out on the club without notice, Williams was unrepentant in his response.
"Say sorry for what, man? Have I like murdered someone? Have I?" he said.
"I'm not sorry for sticking up for what I believe in, for standing up for myself, for standing up for fellow players."
Williams also displayed little sympathy for the team-mates he left behind and admitted to feeling slightly disappointed by their immediate response.
"I'm just a bit hurt that some of the players have come out and bagged me straight away without knowing the facts," he said.
"I thought with them knowing the kind of bloke I was, there would have been a legitimate reason for me doing what I've done.
"Those players that have stood up and hammered me straight away probably weren't my friends in the first place.
"But to those boys that support me... they know that if they were in my shoes, I'd back them 100 per cent, no matter what.
"I never like seeing my close mates losing like that. But in the bigger picture these boys know that what I've done is not just about me.
"It's about them boys, about the young boys coming through, getting a better go, getting a better deal out of things."
Williams' move has caused a storm in Australia with the Bulldogs set to sue Toulon, while NSW Supreme Court judge Robert Austin has also given lawyers the green light to serve papers at Williams' home and business address in Australia, instead of having to serve the court papers on him personally, in order for the court case to proceed.
They are seeking an injunction to prevent Williams from playing in any competition other than the NRL, whilst the player is expected to run out for his first game of rugby for Toulon in a trial match on Friday.
However, Williams went on to explain one further reason for his shock decision to leave for France, that being frustration.
"I'm one of those young kids that used to love watching everything about rugby league," he continued.
"But then when I go to the club ... now being at the club and seeing what's going on behind the scenes, I see that it is just a business.
"They don't care about me. They treat us like cattle.
"What I have done, it has shown that it is just not about me.
"It is about the boys just getting a fair go. It's about them standing up and having the balls to get what they should be getting because if we're going to be getting treated like then why can't we treat the clubs like that?"