Counties says yes to Umaga, but no to SBW

Paul Reidy is the chairman of Counties Manukau rugby. So if anyone's knows whether Sonny Bill Williams is going to play in his union's colours this year, it is him.

Reidy, however, said the first he had heard about Williams arrival in, of all places, Pukekohe (as floated in last week's Sunday News) was when he picked up the paper last weekend.

"It came totally out of left field," he said. "I was pretty surprised to read the story because we have not had any contact with Williams or his people at all." However, where there's smoke there's fire, and story appears to have been sparked by the union's genuine interest in recruiting former All Blacks skipper, Tana Umaga. Umaga, who mentors Williams at French club Toulon, wants to return home.

Last week NZRU boss Steve Tew let slip that All Blacks coach Graham Henry had been in talks with Williams. The Star-Times understand those talks extend to an informal approach by Henry to Blues coach Pat Lam to gauge his interest in the former league star. The Blues, though, are taking a cautious approach.

Williams' rugby union credentials are largely still unknown and he has a bad track record with injury. To confuse matters further, Counties Manukau is part of the Chiefs franchise.

Reidy confirmed his union, which not so long ago was in serious financial trouble, didn't have the cash to offer Williams the sort of salary he's accustomed to. So the chances of SBW playing in Pukekohe look, at best, remote.

Reidy said they were not giving up hope that Umaga could come. He said negotiations with his UK-based agent were progressing well.

Umaga won't be cheap either. But that's where the NZRU could come into play. Tew and his team are big fans of Umaga. They have also been rebuilding the bridge to Counties burned last year when former chairman Matthew Newman reacted angrily to plans to drop the union from the Air New Zealand Cup.

He traded insults with Tew, but Tew's No2 Neil Sorenson was on the panel which interviewed the union's next chief executive this week.

Why? The official answer is: standard practice. Sorenson sits in on these types of appointments regularly but the NZRU has helped fund provincial union staff in the past.

Umaga might be the next.

Reidy said: "He would be an inspiration to the [Pacific Island community] and add a few bums on seats."

- © Fairfax NZ News