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Sonny Bill Williams' Toronto Wolfpack debut ends in defeat

(Photo by George Wood/Getty Images)

Former All Blacks star Sonny Bill Williams has made a losing return to rugby league in his Super League debut with the Toronto Wolfpack in England.

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The 34-year-old came off the bench 26 minutes into the Wolfpack’s season-opener against Castleford at Headingley, but the Canadian club’s first-ever outing in the Super League finished in defeat as they succumbed to a 28-10 loss.

At the time of Williams’ introduction to the match, the Wolfpack trailed by 10-6, but his involvement in the clash wasn’t able to turn his team’s fortunes.

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The former rugby union midfielder signed a blockbuster two-year deal worth NZ$10m with the Toronto side last November, and said he expects improved performances moving forward.

“It didn’t go to plan but at the end of the day, that’s the game of footy. You win some and you lose some,” Williams said.

“It didn’t go our way but if I look at it from an individual point of view then I know I worked hard and if I continue to do that then the rest will come.

“It’s a long season and I’m just happy to be here.”

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The fixture marks Williams’ first foray in the 13-man code in six years after he left the NRL’s Sydney Roosters to rejoin the All Blacks in 2014.

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The 58-test international added a second World Cup crown to the one he gained in 2011 a year after returning to XVs, made a brief appearance at the 2016 Rio Olympics with the All Blacks Sevens and turned out for both the Chiefs and Blues at Super Rugby level during his second stint in union, which lasted five years.

However, Williams feels right at home after completing his long-awaited return to rugby league, where he has won two NRL titles and played in 12 tests for the Kiwis.

“I’ve got something to work on, a good base. I am feeling really good,” he said.

“They were looking to play me for 20 or 30 minutes but I was feeling really good out there.

“From a team point of view I am very disappointed but individually I’m just glad I got back out there and got a taste of it and started to get my rhythm.”

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Williams will miss next week’s match against Salford in Manchester as he intends to return to New Zealand for the birth of his fourth child, but expects to only be out of action for one week.

The Wolfpack aren’t scheduled to make a home appearance on Canadian soil until mid-April, when they host Hull FC at Lamport Stadium in round 11.

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J
JW 1 hour ago
‘The problem with this year’s Champions Cup? Too many English clubs’

Yep, that's exactly what I want.

Glasgow won the URC and Edinburgh finished 16th, but Scotland won the six nations, Edinburgh would qualify for the Champions Cup under your system.

It's 'or'. If Glasgow won the URC or Scotland won the six nations. If one of those happens I believe it will (or should) be because the league is in a strong place, and that if a Scotland side can do that, there next best club team should be allowed to reach for the same and that would better serve the advancement of the game.


Now, of course picking a two team league like Scotland is the extreme case of your argument, but I'm happy for you to make it. First, Edinbourgh are a good mid table team, so they are deserving, as my concept would have predicted, of the opportunity to show can step up. Second, you can't be making a serious case that Gloucester are better based on beating them, surely. You need to read Nicks latest article on SA for a current perspective on road teams in the EPCR. Christ, you can even follow Gloucester and look at the team they put out the following week to know that those games are meaningless.


More importantly, third. Glasgow are in a league/pool with Italy, So the next team to be given a spot in my technically imperfect concept would be Benneton. To be fair to my idea that's still in it's infancy, I haven't given any thought to those 'two team' leagues/countries yet, and I'm not about to 😋

They would be arguably worse if they didn't win the Challenge Cup.

Incorrect. You aren't obviously familiar with knockout football Finn, it's a 'one off' game. But in any case, that's not your argument. You're trying to suggest they're not better than the fourth ranked team in the Challenge Cup that hasn't already qualified in their own league, so that could be including quarter finalists. I have already given you an example of a team that is the first to get knocked out by the champions not getting a fair ranking to a team that loses to one of the worst of the semi final teams (for example).

Sharks are better

There is just so much wrong with your view here. First, the team that you are knocking out for this, are the Stormers, who weren't even in the Challenge Cup. They were the 7th ranked team in the Champions Cup. I've also already said there is good precedent to allow someone outside the league table who was heavily impacted early in the season by injury to get through by winning Challenge Cup. You've also lost the argument that Sharks qualify as the third (their two best are in my league qualification system) South African team (because a SAn team won the CC, it just happened to be them) in my system. I'm doubt that's the last of reasons to be found either.


Your system doesn't account for performance or changes in their domestic leagues models, and rely's heavily on an imperfect and less effective 'winner takes all' model.

Giving more incentives to do well in the Challenge Cup will make people take it more seriously. My system does that and yours doesn't.

No your systems doesn't. Not all the time/circumstances. You literally just quoted me describing how they aren't going to care about Challenge Cup if they are already qualifying through league performance. They are also not going to hinder their chance at high seed in the league and knockout matches, for the pointless prestige of the Challenge Cup.


My idea fixes this by the suggesting that say a South African or Irish side would actually still have some desire to win one of their own sides a qualification spot if they win the Challenge Cup though. I'll admit, its not the strongest incentive, but it is better than your nothing. I repeat though, if your not balance entries, or just my assignment, then obviously winning the Challenge Cup should get you through, but your idea of 4th place getting in a 20 team EPCR? Cant you see the difference lol


Not even going to bother finishing that last paragraph. 8 of 10 is not an equal share.

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