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Author Topic: Sonny Bill Williams  (Read 2642 times)

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Everyone’s a Quinner

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Re: Sonny Bill Williams
« on: Wednesday 06-Feb-2019, 13:50* »
I'm with poorfour on how this will probably play out in the mid-term. We'll see fixed term sabbaticals for players wanting to experience European rugby (with a view to know whether they want to move North after their time in the AB squad is over).
For younger players who they want to get more experience who may be being held back by having more senior players ahead of them, I can see the benefit. Imagine you're a younger player (24/25) who's got an established AB in the same Super Rugby squad against them. You're only going to get occasional starts in Super Rugby, and possibly some Mitre10 games (Premiership Cup). If NZRU think that you're a player who could develop into a future star, sending you up to us for two seasons to get more serious game time could be a real benefit to them, the player, and us.


Complete agree here that this would be the most common use of the partnership in terms of younger players gaining more game time here. My thoughts on the Sonny case is more just you never know, despite more injuries, moved healed and back playing he is still fresh and has still got it so it could come down to him thinking to himself “before I retire, where is the one country or league I wish I had a go at but haven’t”. If the England Gallagher Premiership comes up and he is looking for just one season you never know, with our partnership and links with All Blacks and New Zealand Rugby it could help his decision.

I don’t mean to compare it too much but it’s like in football where you sometimes see players join a team in a different league. Yes most times it’s for cash money but in some cases they do it because it’s a country or league they wish to try out and play on before retirement. Could be a pay per play deal, one year contract deal, some sort of we pay some, NZ Rugby pays a tad kind of deal. You normally will see that they are usually on the bench covering the range positions they play in and start the games which are more domestic cup instead of European cup or league games unless needed.

Think about it. To a lot of young New Zealanders and future All Blacks, most probably haven’t heard much about Harlequins other than we are an good team in a top league in England. Having the odd player who they are familiar with play for us like in a current case Francis Saili (or if it did ever happen, Sonny Bills last rugby venture with us) could give us as an English club more exposure and attraction to future younger NZ rugby players to come to us to develop, paired with the partnership.

Some see it as a dumb thought which is completely fine if that’s how you feel, but I like to be optimistic and hopefull. There is no harm in it. If it happens that’s nice, if it doesn’t happen ok no worries.
« Last Edit: Wednesday 06-Feb-2019, 13:55* by Everyone’s a Quinner »

 

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