Each and every fan of an NRL club and the game of rugby league itself should be up in arms about the potential return of Sonny Bill Williams to the Roosters.
For over a decade now, the Bondi based club has faced the ridicule and barbs of fans across the other 15 clubs; people curious as to how the Tri-colours have been financially able to assemble and maintain a squad that is frankly, the envy of the competition.
Under the ever watchful eye of Chooks supremo Nick Politis, the club has compiled a CV of success over the last 25 years that features four premierships, the same number of runners-up medallions, five other seasons which culminated in Preliminary Finals and 17 overall finals’ appearances.
Perhaps only the Storm and Broncos can match that 68 per cent success rate over an extended period and recent times have been an absolute boon for the club, with three premierships over the last seven years sending Rooster fans into delirium.
What irks many and causes much head scratching, is the ability of the Roosters accountants to manage the ever problematic salary cap so well. The number crunches must be Trump-like “stable geniuses” when it comes to assembling a roster.
They rarely lose what they wish to keep and usually find a way to get their hands on the players they require to build a team capable of threatening for the title.
In the recent past, tongues have been set wagging by the club’s ability to lure the now world’s number one fullback James Tedesco from the Tigers, a then promising Bunnies half in the form of Luke Keary and another of South Sydney’s most talented young players Angus Crichton.
Added to a squad already including high class talent in the form of Boyd Cordner, Daniel Tupou, Mitchell Aubusson, Jared Waerea-Hargreaves and Jake Friend as well as upcoming stars, Victory Radley and Joseph Manu, it is no wonder the Roosters now begin each season as premiership favourites in many markets.
The 2018 and 2019 NRL titles should really be of no surprise to anyone, particularly when the club doubled down on its ability to successfully manage its finances and playing roster by attracting international three-quarter Brett Morris from the Bulldogs for the second of those premierships.
When news emerged that the Roosters had also managed to attract the services of his brother Josh for the current campaign, many threw their hands into the air, wondering how the club could possibly be adding more representative talent to a squad already stacked with both experience and potential.
Many refer to Trent Robinson’s squad as one living under a rather broad “salary sombrero”, however, the Roosters’ shrewd use of third-party arrangements and players willing to perhaps play for a little under market value in order to be part of a winning culture, more likely lies at the heart of their success.
Calling the Roosters salary cap cheats is unfair, legally wrong and immature. Yet wondering how they do go about forming such a consistently competitive group is completely fair.
Whilst acknowledging their successes and applauding the culture they have built is the mature and classy thing to do, murmurs that a now out of work Sonny Bill Williams could be headed home for a brief stint at Bondi, stinks to high heaven.
Williams has done just about all there is to do in his myriad sporting endeavours, including playing a vital role in the Roosters 2013 triumph. As such, he commands millions at the Toronto Wolfpack; a club now withdrawn from the Super League for the remainder of the 2020 season.
The NRL has reportedly labelled the gifted Kiwi as a $400,000 player. And as such, he would attract somewhere in the vicinity of $150,000 to $200,000 for another brief stint in Australia. With serious injuries to Victor Radley and Angus Crichton, Williams could very well be the back row addition the Chooks need to bolster stocks on the fringe of the ruck.
However, is it fair to ask just how this is possible?
If the Roosters can make such an arrangement work and ensure Williams’ Toronto contract is honoured, the average NRL fan might well be entitled to wonder how a gifted player who would command around half a million dollars on the open market is permitted to play for a pittance.
Frankly and ethically, it stinks and opens up a can of worms in terms of Super League and NRL players switching continents to take up short term contracts where their true value is not reflected in the dollars they are actually being paid.
It would be nice to see Sonny Bill running around in Australia once again - he is undoubtedly one of the best athletes the game has seen over the last quarter of a century.
Yet his addition to the star-studded Roosters roster is destined to annoy a heck of a lot of people.
V’Landys is bending over backwards to accommodate another international player into the Roosters roster.
They are the only club that boasts rep players at 1-17 and also their back up reserves.
As $BW already has a contract with a super league club he shouldn’t be allowed to play over here.
I thought the game would be better under V’Landys but he has proven to be just another one of uncle Nicks hand puppets.
May as well hand another in deserved premiership to the feather dusters and make it 3 stains in a row.
Undeserved
Totally agree, sadly.
Shrewd use of 3rd party agreements.
1. NRL published aggregate 3rd party amounts and roosters were in the bottom half.
2. Aren’t 3rd party agreements meant to be independent of the club.
But yes the premise is right. It doesn’t pass the smell test. Glad there is somebody with the guts to write about it.