The Official Sonny Bill Williams Thread

[Feicarsinn]

Agreed. Filo Tiatia gave up a promising equestrian career to become an All Black. You don't see him being allowed showjump do you?

 

[Sam Owen]

Agreed. Filo Tiatia gave up a promising equestrian career to become an All Black. You don't see him being allowed showjump do you?

Filo Tiatia equestrian??...lol I didnt know that. Thats a horse on top of a horse almost

 

[lucky number 7]

Agreed. Filo Tiatia gave up a promising equestrian career to become an All Black. You don't see him being allowed showjump do you?[/QUO
Ha you cant be serious ? He is a man mountain? :/

 

[Amobokoboko]

Well times have changed.

 

[nickdnz]

The comparison of SBW to Ali, typifies just how much everyone over hypes him. He was average at best in this fight. There was nothing even slightly suggesting that he could be a great boxer. He's in his mid 20's, there is no way he can improve enough to become a good enough boxer to even be taken seriously as a professional. He had the reach over Lewis, and more composure, but he never looked like he'd even come close to a knock down. His punches looked relatively weak, and he'd consistantly resort to putting Scott Lewis in a headlock. Did he deserve to win? Yes, Scott Lewis looked like a drunk brawler. Did he show anything suggesting that he could be a world class heavy weight? Absolutely not. Sonny Bill Williams blows his nose, and the media reports he's created a cyclone, it's ludacris overhype.

In terms of should he have been allowed to box? Well, once again he should take no fault for it. I think boxing training is fine, however boxing professionally is very different. It's easy to get concussed or pick up an injury, and therefore it's a double standard for the NZRU top have allowed SBW to have boxed. However, it was used as an incentive in his contract (Canterbury admitted that early on). The fault lies once again on the double standards from the NZRU -
1. Signing a player from overseas, to come and play in New Zealand, for more money than the top centres in New Zealand are already making, is shocking.
2. As further incentive (ontop of the huge amount of money already getting paid), he's allowed to participate in what is obviously a risky sport, outside of his S15 training (had he recovered instead of boxing training, he would be able to play for Canterbury now, rather then treat a stress fracture.
3. Selecting a player from the ITM Cup, on the form of 6 or so matches, ahead of other centres like Robbie Fruean, Rene Ranger and Benson Stanely who had played all season as well as Super rugby.

These are all double standards. I can hear the beat of "haters ganna hate" drumming, but regardless there are so many things wrong with how the NZRU have handled SBW. If it is really SBW's dream, then he should be able to and want to achieve it the same way as everybody else. Ignoring the fact he'll probably leave in 2012 (which is another thing that ticks me off, but I won't start), He'd have had plenty of time to earn a spot in the Tri Nations this year, rather than a push to the front of the line, to justify his overpaid and over privileged contract. Regardless of his skill, and he's probably a nice enough guy, the NZRU have not sent a good message allowing all these double standards with SBW.

 

[Amobokoboko]

Hi Nick,

What would do you think will be the consequences of this kind of management after the RWC?
If the AB's win the RWC the NZRU could continue following this path and import every three years some kiwi mercenaries from Europe as we have the discussion now with Hayman and Evans. Just buying a successful line up, knowing that a couple of months later the big guns will be back in Europe again.

If the AB's don't succeed, the NZRU spent some big money on a player for a position where they already have huge talents in the their own ranks: Smith, Nonu, Ranger, Stanley ... so heads will roll.

 

[iWin]

Agreed. Filo Tiatia gave up a promising equestrian career to become an All Black. You don't see him being allowed showjump do you?

Am I the only one terrified at the prospect of a horse not only able to carry that thing, but also to jump while doing so?
Nature should not be able to create such a monster.

 

[Sam Owen]

Has anyone else heard that he is being compared to Muhammad Ali?

Tony Mundine (the one whose made this comparison) was a great Boxer in his time in the Australasian Boxing scene. However he is now old and seemingly punch drunk judging from these kind of comments. Its his far-fetched opinion I wouldnt look more into it, just a read and a pffft.

In other news, the great Josh Kronfeld is ****** off at SBW and the NZRU double standards

I think Josh shouldnt hate the player he should hate the game thats if Josh is ****** of at SBW.

Josh shouldve been allowed to Surf, I heard many All Blacks Surf in their leisure time.

 

[nickdnz]

Hi Nick,

What would do you think will be the consequences of this kind of management after the RWC?
If the AB's win the RWC the NZRU could continue following this path and import every three years some kiwi mercenaries from Europe as we have the discussion now with Hayman and Evans. Just buying a successful line up, knowing that a couple of months later the big guns will be back in Europe again.

If the AB's don't succeed, the NZRU spent some big money on a player for a position where they already have huge talents in the their own ranks: Smith, Nonu, Ranger, Stanley ... so heads will roll.

I think in the long term, it is going to lead players who would have otherwise stayed in New Zealand, leaving to play overseas. Ignoring how the NZRU are trying to buy back former players (which will always happen when nerves are high in a RWC year), young talent like Rene Ranger or Robert Fruean will miss out on a RWC. Now that would be fine had they missed out on a player who had been there as long as them, and worked as hard, but if it's to a player who got paid $400,000 more than them, to start off with, then I can't see them sticking around waiting for an AB jersey. SBW will leave in 2012. At least if Ranger, Fruean or Stanley were selected for the RWC, you have centres wo are young enough and will stay around for the RWC in 2015.

At this stage, I can't see just this incident having a real effect on the attitudes of most players, but it is in my mind NZRU's worst signing to date by far. The whole signing itself seems like a very awkward progression to rugby becominng more professional in New Zealand, and it's a game that New Zealand can't financially afford to play. The glue that keeps NZ as a top tier nation, is the loyalty NZ players have to have to the NZ jersey, and I feel the NZRU signing SBW will rock the loyalty of players who have been in NZ trying hard to earn a jersey.

 

[Charles]

Am I the only one terrified at the prospect of a horse not only able to carry that thing, but also to jump while doing so?
Nature should not be able to create such a monster.

This horse should do the trick.

+

=

AWESOME

 

[Teh Mite]

I didn't realise shire horses were suitable for equestrian.

 

[lucky number 7]

I didn't realise shire horses were suitable for equestrian.

What? I think you mean showjumping as an equestrian is more a definition of something that has anything to do with horses :/

 

[Teh Mite]

*equestrianism.

 

[lucky number 7]

I bit heavy boned indeed but would carry filo

 

[Charles]

Some draft horses are actually used in jumping...

 

[lucky number 7]

Ive actually bred my showjumper with a an Irish draught they are fairly fantastic animals but that thing in the photo is an absolute monster ..kataphract cavalry style

 

[Feicarsinn]

It should be stated here that I was talking out of my arse earlier in the thread. It's made for some hilarious reading for me though.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

It should be stated here that I was talking out of my arse earlier in the thread. It's made for some hilarious reading for me though.

I was trying to find a picture of a plane flying over a group of people, so I could point to the plane and say "Feics Joke" and point to the group and say "everyone" but then I couldn't find one, got bored, and went and bought some KFC instead.

True story.

 

[TRF_Cymro]

Agreed. Filo Tiatia gave up a promising equestrian career to become an All Black. You don't see him being allowed showjump do you?

This has made my night :lol:

 

[Feicarsinn]

I was trying to find a picture of a plane flying over a group of people, so I could point to the plane and say "Feics Joke" and point to the group and say "everyone" but then I couldn't find one, got bored, and went and bought some KFC instead.

True story.

I'd believe that happened.