SBW - Asset or What?

[Graham]

From his own lips, he’s not yet up to playing for Roosters in the NRL.  Too soon would be risking injury and disappointment.

He’s not fit enough. 
“Sonny Bill Williams says he is not ready to be the saviour for the injury-ravaged Sydney Roosters straight away, or else he will risk joining the 11 other players in the casualty ward.Williams had his first day back in NRL training with the Roosters since 2014 on Saturday, comparing the club’s culture to that of the All Blacks.In a perfect world, the Roosters would have Williams playing on Friday night against Brisbane.”

More here https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=12356890

[Graham]

One report about SBW getting his first game in the NRL for Roosters this weekend against Raiders said he was being unleashed. UNleashed? He's not a wild dog. He's a player that hasn't been match fit who will be tested where it matters this weekend.

Unleashed? No. Tried out, yes.

Good luck to the bloke.

Hope Raiders win!

[DiddyDave]

So do I mate,sick of hearing about SBW,the bloke who walked out on the Bulldogs,a fact that none of the TV and radio pundits have mentioned once. Why? Is the game so devoid of top liners that we need this over the top part timer to keep the game at the forefront of Australian sport? Pathetic.

[graveyard johnny]

13 hours ago, DiddyDave said:

So do I mate,sick of hearing about SBW,the bloke who walked out on the Bulldogs,a fact that none of the TV and radio pundits have mentioned once. Why? Is the game so devoid of top liners that we need this over the top part timer to keep the game at the forefront of Australian sport? Pathetic.

walked out on the game altogether, money grabber- hope he gets smashed

[Graham]

The heralded return of SBW this weekend v Raiders may be in a bit of doubt. He isn’t yet seen as 100%. He missed training on Monday. He’s had a six month lay off together with getting over surgery.

He is being treated as the Roosters trump card in their Premiership campaign. Maybe he’s just the joker in the pack, or just a roll of the dice. 
 

[DavidM]

If they haven’t seen him for Toronto they’re in for a shock if they’re expecting the 2013 Sonny Bill . 

[DiddyDave]

13 hours ago, graveyard johnny said:

walked out on the game altogether, money grabber- hope he gets smashed

Money grabber,I couldn`t have put it better myself.

[Davo5]

On 01/09/2020 at 16:29, DavidM said:

If they haven’t seen him for Toronto they’re in for a shock if they’re expecting the 2013 Sonny Bill . 

There not,Robinson is too clever for that.

[Futtocks]

4 hours ago, Davo5 said:

There not,Robinson is too clever for that.

But they were probably expecting rather more than they eventually got.

[Graham]

He's clearly nowhere near match fitness.

He had just 13 minutes on the pitch, had four runs made a handfull of tackles and was taken of tired out.

You wouldn't have wanted to have spent a lot of money on him would you?

[Davo5]

2 minutes ago, Futtocks said:

But they were probably expecting rather more than they eventually got.

I think Robinson got exactly what he expected from a player who hasn’t played for nearly 6 months going into a vital high intensity game,but then again he’s only 1 of the best coaches in the game rather than a fan who obviously has issues with the player.

[Futtocks]

2 minutes ago, Davo5 said:

I think Robinson got exactly what he expected from a player who hasn’t played for nearly 6 months going into a vital high intensity game,but then again he’s only 1 of the best coaches in the game rather than a fan who obviously has issues with the player.

There have been other players in NRL or SL who have come in without warm-up games because reserves/second-grade is suspended, but still put in a better stint.

[Graham]

SBW's return mulled over by journalist Will Swanton (The Australian Weekend)

This not aimed at anyone on here, it's just a slice of Swanton's feature article on SBW's return and that of other sportsmen who were thought to still have it when they made a comeback, and didn't.

Quote

And you reckon Sonny Bill Williams, on one leg, rustier than his old Daihatsu Charade, match-starved, undercooked, having not played in the NRL for six years, you reckon Williams is about to make any sort of meaningful on-field contribution to the Sydney Roosters? I think you‘ve lost it. I’ll believe it when I see it.

Quote

I have no doubt about Williams’ off-field contribution: a dedicated professional, a proven winner, seemingly a grounded and decent human consumed by his religious faith. But as a sportsman, the 35-year-old is trying to do what the great Thorpe, the great Lillee, the great Lockett, the great Leonard, the great Johnson, the great Spitz, the great Borg and the great Hewitt have all attempted. A return to past glories. Williams is great, but not as great as any of them, and they’ve all fallen flat on their faces or nearly drowned.

Full article:

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/sport/nrl/they-all-lose-it-why-sonny-bills-comeback-is-doomed-to-fail/news-story/964bb9963db43ae59e00cb13a8cfbe46

[Clogiron]

So that was the great second coming? He did more in that 13min than in all his time with Toronto, except missed tackles, but the game has moved on and he's got older, all a bit of a damp squib. Did anyone notice that he had a different name on the back of his jersey to the Unibet sported by the rest of the Roosters, may be a faith thing or was it a monetary thing and to whose advantage?

[DiddyDave]

So why all the big hoo hah then in Australia? No way will Robbo play him in the finals series unless the Roosters have more injuries,but he`ll no doubt be still collecting his substantial pay packets. Talk about over the top hype. 

[JM2010]

Just highlights how intense and high standard the NRL is. I've no doubt he would have been able to walk straight back into top level union without much of a struggle

[Dunbar]

I thought he showed a couple of decent touches. He is also a very professional player who has looked after himself over the years, he will improve on his fitness if he gets the game time. 

He is a quality player and I am sure if he had some game time this year he would prove it.

But here's the rub. The Roosters have Cordner (as captain), Crichton and Tupouniua as their edge forwards and all of them are better than Williams as of today so two on the pitch and one on the bench seems the obvious solution. 

I can't see Williams getting enough game time in the next few weeks to see him in the game day 17 come the play off's but it is not impossible as he may get a utility role on the bench alongside two middles and an edge forward.

[DavidM]

I wonder about him getting a regular spot on the bench if we’re gonna get cameos . It’s not a game show or PR at this stage of the season , and the Roosters have really good options .Its really tough just coming in , and there’s not much time to ease into it now . He was blowing after 5 minutes , it’s very unforgiving . If it was early in the season he’d have time but at this stage Im not so sure 

[Graham]

Roosters have shown they don't need him on the pitch.

It does raise the club's profile I suppose, but again, they are high profile anyway, plus the attention on him distracted somewhat from the achievement of Josh Morris playing his 300th game.

[Futtocks]

If the Roosters get any more injuries, and they've already had a few, he might warrant a regular bench start.

[DoubleD]

On 05/09/2020 at 14:22, DiddyDave said:

So why all the big hoo hah then in Australia? No way will Robbo play him in the finals series unless the Roosters have more injuries,but he`ll no doubt be still collecting his substantial pay packets. Talk about over the top hype. 

We had the same hoo hah over here when he signed for Toronto. And that also turned out to be a damp squib. I feel a little sorry for the player because it’s not him hyping it up and it does him no favours. He’s no more than an average NRL second rower, perhaps slightly above average SL second rower. Expectation levels need to be adjusted all around 

[DavidM]

4 hours ago, Graham said:

Roosters have shown they don't need him on the pitch.

It does raise the club's profile I suppose, but again, they are high profile anyway, plus the attention on him distracted somewhat from the achievement of Josh Morris playing his 300th game.

Huge attention should be on the Morris boys . I try never to use this word but my god they’re just awesome . Either would look the part in any rep side even now . 

[Davo5]

On 06/09/2020 at 15:05, Futtocks said:

If the Roosters get any more injuries, and they've already had a few, he might warrant a regular bench start.

No fresh injuries and named on the bench again this week.

[Davo5]

On 06/09/2020 at 18:55, DavidM said:

Huge attention should be on the Morris boys . I try never to use this word but my god they’re just awesome . Either would look the part in any rep side even now . 

Josh Morris did get a lot of deserved mention both in the media and especially by the Roosters.