Bulldogs vow to keep Williams in the fold

By Brad Walter and Steve Mascord March 15, 2004

After Sonny Bill Williams's stunning debut on Saturday night, the Bulldogs are planning to keep him at the club for life.

Regarded as one of the best young talents in the game, the 18-year-old Kiwi lived up to the hype in the Bulldogs' 48-14 thrashing of Parramatta by scoring a try and setting up two more.

Remarkably, Williams - who has his surname tattooed in large letters across his back - was playing out of position in the centres.

While he was comfortable there, Bulldogs chief executive Steve Mortimer said he expected Williams to become a mainstay of the club's forward pack.

"It's early days yet and I think eventually he'll be a back-rower but it was a wonderful debut," Mortimer said. "We're going to have serious negotiations with his management to extend his contract. He's still got two years to go but I see him being a one-club player.

"Apart from being a good player, he's a great kid. He's a very loyal person, he's a very decent person. He's good to have around the joint and he's got good mentors that can lead him in the right direction.

 

"The big money will come for Sonny but I think his management take great comfort from knowing that we provide a terrific environment off the football field."

Mortimer said it was only a matter of time before Williams gained New Zealand selection, but his manager, Gavin Orr, last night revealed that the 191-centimetre, 102-kilogram Auckland junior was also eligible to play for Australia. He represented NSW in an under-19 match last season.

"His mum is Australian and his dad's Samoan," Orr said. "He started playing league when he was eight with the Marist Richmond club and came to the Bulldogs two years ago, so I expect he'd probably want to play for the Kiwis but no one has ever asked."

Orr said Williams was keen to stay at the club.

"He had actually had an option in his contract at the end of last season but the kid loves the Dogs and didn't want to even consider going anywhere else," he said. "He thinks they're the best club in the world."

With the return of centre Ben Harris from injury, Bulldogs coach Steve Folkes is considering switching Williams to the second row for Saturday night's clash with Cronulla at the Sydney Showground.