A qualified defence of Sonny Bill Williams

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It seems that everyone has a view about Sonny Bill Williams .

You would have to be a cave dweller in Fiordland not to know the story. After helping the Sydney Roosters to an NRL Premiership victory over the Manly Sea Eagles Sonny Bill announced his unavailability for the Kiwis world cup campaign. After the squad was duly announced Sonny Bill changed his mind. Coach Steven Kearney then de-selected Tohu Harris to make way for Williams. And, he resigned for the Sydney Roosters, quashing strong rumours of a return to the Waikato Chiefs rugby union team. The fledgling boxing career has been put on hold for several seasons.

There is plenty to criticise here but the negative media reaction has lacked all  proportion. And that’s putting it mildly. Chris Rattue`s  `Day of Shame` piece for the New Zealand Herald was pathological (NZH October 10). Sonny Bill William`s is described as sports number one narcisissist  (whatever happened to Tiger Woods?). New Zealand Rugby League`s belated selection of Williams and the de-selection of Harris is described as the second `most reprehensible New Zealand  sporting decision` (ahead the New Zealand Rugby Union`s racist selection policies of 1928,1949 and 1960?).  Rattue strengthens his `case` by denigrating Sonny Bill`s playing abilities. Apparently, he was left on the All Black bench during the rugby union world cup final because of poor preparation, a shortcoming attributed to his `boxing hobby` (evidence?). Williams was `the worst player in the first half of the grand final` (for non-sports readers,results are generally determined at the end of the second half). I should mention here that William`s won the Jack Gibson award for Roosters player of the year. Not bad, in a side that won the NRL minor premiership.

Rattue goes on to state `who cares if the Kiwis retain the world cup because they don`t stand for anything worthwhile any more`.  On the basis of this moral stance I presume he can`t watch the Melbourne Storm without implicitly condoning the club`s corrupt past. Deliberate and systematic breaches of salary cap rules undermine the integrity of entire competitions.

In Duncan Johnstone`s stuff.co opinion piece moral superiority is seasoned with a tinge of racism. (October 13). How else can one interpret a headline that reads `Now listen here Sonny Boy` ? Johnstone describes  Sonny Bill`s world cup selection as a `stain` on New Zealand`s Rugby League administration. His decision not to play rugby union for the Waikato Chiefs in 2014 is said to have similar repercussions; `now the 15 man code finds itself blotted by that spreading stain`. To remove this `stain` Johnstone suggests victimisation, `Sonny Bill Williams has turned his back on New Zealand rugby. Maybe its time the New Zealand Rugby Union turned its back on him`, (if this was to happen it would be like the pot calling the kettle a rather dark colour,morality wise). The whole piece reeks of a  Palangi sports-media jock putting the uppity brown boy in his place.

This is not an isolated attitude, especially if one considers the vigilante world of talk back radio.    And then  there was the Sunday Star Times cartoon which likened Williams to an unprincipled, money obsessed, self aggrandizing politician. Such qualities were also associated with the so-called `SBW party`.

I could go on, the media has been full of such tripe. What, then is my view on this matter? Well, the scale and intensity of the criticisms have been over the top. High pitched moral outrage should be saved for the truly corrupt; drug cheats like Lance Armstrong, match fixers like the late Hans Cronje and bribe prone administrators such as those associated with the IOC   and FIFA (how on earth did Qatar get to host the 2022 world soccer cup?).

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The next level down for badness is the two  d`s , disgusting and dangerous. This would include racist taunts as in John Terry referring to Anton Ferdinand as a `black cunt` (or as a `fucking black cunt` depending on your point of view) and violent drunkenness, sometimes  involving driving (cases too numerous too mention and that’s just the NRL).  William`s early career was not spotless, alchohol related incidents ,a drink driving conviction and a fine for public urination (presumably not on the field). After his conversion to Islam in 2008 such behaviour disappeared, no `mad Monday` drinking sessions, nightclub brawls or reckless attempts to drive home.

Accusations of  disloyalty have validity but should be tempered by counter evidence of  loyalty to friends family and teammates . The defendant is not blameless but balance and proportion are required.

There’s another thing that bugs me. Moral judgements of Sonny Bill`s behaviour always contain the claim that `no individual is bigger than the game`. What tosh! The phrase should be reworded to read `no individual is bigger than the money in the game`. For professional sports teams the best way to generate money and survive financially is to win. And, to do this the best players must be chosen. As Michael Laws observes in the Sunday Star Times `The rugby league selectors did their job. They selected the best team.  `They are not  philosophers nor clergymen nor moral instructors.`. They have a simple rule:pick a team that can win` (October 13).

It’s worth pondering here the money that Sonny Bill makes for other people. Rugby league world cup administators and marketers must be delighted. Sonny Bill bring in crowds, increase  television audiences and raise the event`s profile. This will please advertisers, sponsors and television executives because the rugby league world cup has low international status (compared to the rugby union equivalent which has more good quality teams and a larger global audience). Essentially, top athletes like Williams are commodities. To make a lucrative living they need a commercial strategy and……….a good manager.

Enter Khoder Nasser, William`s manager, the most vilified person in New Zealand sport. In the mainstream media he is portrayed as a Machiavellian, almost occult figure who schemes and manipulates to the detriment of sporting values. I have a different view. In the harsh world of profit, bottom lines, market share and commodification he is just doing his job. If Nasser was a financier, IT entrepreneur or successful consultant no one would raise an eyelid. Yet, professional sport is a business and business acumen is required. For Nasser to succeed he must maximise returns for his client by getting lucrative contracts and endorsements and generating publicity.  On the latter score hes doing brilliantly. Much sports reporting centres around narratives of heroism and villainy. William`s plays two parts at once, the hero who turns the game and the villain who tears up contracts  and goes back on his word. As the controversy mounts Williams` commercial value increases. Having a muscular, finely toned torso helps too. Womens magazines, clothing manufacturers,  members of the television audience and all other sources of monetary value  effectively give Nasser bargaining power with anyone who wants a piece of Sonny Bill. This is why ,incidentally, accusing Williams of not being a real boxer is naive, it’s not just boxing fans he’s after you dimwit.

Nasser`s strategy simply illustrates the capitalist logic of high profile, mass mediated  sport. From his and Sonny Bill`s perspective maximising revenue is a necessary part of becoming the greatest ever double code rugby player. After all, a career threatening injury could happen at any time. For a state house lad  to prevail in the capitalist world,  heaps of talent and prowess are not enough, he needs an eye for the main chance.

4 COMMENTS

  1. The Media would rather he followed the All Blacks example and KILL ENDANGERED SEALS, BASH HIS KIDS AND PARTNERS, MOLEST TEENAGE TOURISTS, and JUMP UP AND DOWN ON PEOPLES CARS. As for sponsors he could illegally drive their cars without a license like other All Blacks. And Loyalty and morals could be learnt from Nonu who makes himself unwanted by any team in the country and goes and cries to the NZRFU who will go and tell a coach he has to take the player regardless and he must play when and where we say.

    Jeeze I so wish League could be as wholesome as Union.

  2. Why care? This is simply a distraction as sport mania is a addiction and our main sports are no longer sporting, they are staged corporate events that serve to distract everyone from the real issues undermining our society.

  3. Thank you for putting some balance and context to the whole drama.

    SInce when did such hate and vitriol become ‘normal’.

    Unfortunately ramping up the outrage is the business model of some journalists and its a shame that they have begun a race to the bottom. The problem is that what happens when you win ?

    Sadly what happen is we all lose..

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