Sonny Bill Williams sought on Wednesday to explain his dramatic late bid to join New Zealand’s Rugby League World Cup squad, amid accusations of thinking he is bigger than the game.
The former All Black initially snubbed the Kiwis’ World Cup defence, telling selectors he had “other commitments”, only to undergo a change of heart a few hours after the squad was announced on Tuesday and tell coach Stephen Kearney he wanted to take part.
The U-turn left Kearney scrambling to rejig his 24-man squad and facing the agonising prospect of telling a player he had been dumped from the October 26-November 30 tournament to make way for Williams.
“Our thinking has always been that if Sonny was available, he would be part of the team,” Kearney said in a statement. “We are now exploring options around Sonny’s possible inclusion in the tournament.”
Our thinking has always been that if Sonny was available, he would be part of the team
The debacle raised further questions about Williams’ commitment during a career in which he has displayed stunning athletic prowess but flitted between rugby union, rugby league and boxing seemingly on a whim.
