France joins Sonny Bill's possible play list

BY BRAD WALTER AND RUPERT GUINNESS

Toulon owner Mourad Boudjellal has raised the prospect of Sonny Bill Williams playing rugby for France as the battle for his services hots up, with the Warriors prepared to make him an offer to join the Auckland-based NRL club this season.

Williams, who is off contract at Toulon in May, has attracted interest from the All Blacks, the Warriors and Newcastle Knights but Boudjellal last night told the Sydney Morning Herald the French Top 14 Rugby club wanted him to stay and would be prepared to enter into an arrangement with the NZRU to keep him.

However, Boudjellal, speaking in French, also said Williams could stay and play for France - something he has no doubt the 24-year-old former Bulldogs superstar would be capable of doing.

''If the All Blacks want him and it does not worry them that he keeps playing at Toulon, I would not get in the way of him playing with the All Blacks,'' Boudjellal said.

''But if he has to play in New Zealand to become an All Black and if he wants to be an All Black, he should go to New Zealand. That is certain. [But] in one or two years he could play for France. Voila!''

Asked about Williams's future at Toulon and speculation about him returning to Australia or New Zealand, Boudjellal said: ''I've nothing to say for the moment. We're in discussions. We're talking with him for now. I am going to meet him this week and I am going to ask him to re-sign with Toulon.''

Asked the length of Williams' next Toulon contract, Boudjellal said: ''For at least for next season.''

Boudjellal said he has been impressed by Williams's development and the impact he has had in rugby union since walking out on the Bulldogs in August 2008 to join Toulon on a deal reportedly worth A$1.5 million a season.

''He is a great player,'' Boudjellal said. ''He is not yet at 100 percent. He has a great potential. And we would like that potential to explode at Toulon.''

Boudjellal's comments come as the NZ Warriors prepare to launch a cross-code war for Williams's services in the belief that his return to New Zealand to play rugby union would be damaging to the club.

All Blacks coach Graham Henry has been in phone contact with Williams but the NZRU is believed to be yet to make Williams an offer and Warriors chief executive Wayne Scurrah said the club was determined to at least make a bid.

If possible, Scurrah said the Warriors would like to have Williams join them when his commitments with Toulon finish in May - but he admitted the club was at long odds to sign him even if they were able to negotiate a deal for the Bulldogs to release the Kiwi powerhouse from a clause preventing him playing for another NRL club before 2013.

''If he is off contract, I can't see any reason why he couldn't join us midway through the season,'' Scurrah said. ''It is very much a long shot but that would be fantastic if it happened.''

With the Warriors operating below the NRL's A$4.5 million salary cap and Australian stars Steve Price and Brent Tate off contract at the end of the season, the club would be well placed to make a substantial offer to Williams and Scurrah said he hoped the Bulldogs and the NRL would see the value in having him back in the game.

''If he was to return to the NRL, it would be a bit like Tiger Woods coming back to play golf,'' he said.

- © Fairfax NZ News