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Chiefs coach Dave Rennie plans to meet Sonny Bill Williams when the Super Rugby champions play in Sydney next week, in an attempt to lure the Roosters star back to New Zealand.
While Williams is set to help draw another big crowd on Friday night for his first appearance against the club he walked out on five years ago, Rennie is hoping he will return to play for another of his former teams next season.
''Obviously we will try to get him next year,'' Rennie said. ''Obviously there is a bit of stuff to be sorted. But we are certainly trying to catch up with him when we are over in Sydney in a couple of weeks time and we are pretty keen to lure him back as soon as possible.''
Since the Bulldogs were paid $750,000 in 2008 to release him from the remaining four years of his contract, Williams has only signed for one season at a time and his deal with the Roosters expires on October 31.
Advertisement Roosters boss Nick Politis has made it clear he wants Williams to stay next year and Kiwi officials are hopeful he will be available to play in the end of season World Cup.
The Roosters had issues with the NRL registering a ''vanilla contract'' for Williams after he agreed to honour a handshake agreement with Politis to return to rugby league at the conclusion of a short stint in Japanese rugby union and a fight against South African heavyweight Francois Botha in February.
The NRL eventually registered Williams' contract six days before the season opener between the Roosters and the Rabbitohs but it unclear if the 27-year-old would encounter similar hurdles if he was to re-sign for next season.
Williams has left no doubt he looks upon his time at the Chiefs with great affection, and Rennie hoped the dual international would return to the team he helped to the Super Rugby title last season, as a replacement for fellow All Black Richard Kahui, who is playing in Japan next year.
''He will come back to rugby, when is the big question,'' Rennie told Radio Sport. ''I think he is almost certain to be here in a World Cup year and he will definitely come back to the Chiefs.
''Obviously there is a bit of stuff to be sorted. I know he is going great guns for Sydney [Roosters] at the moment so whether he ends up staying another year … or whether he comes back to rugby sooner I am not sure.''
One of the problems Williams faced in having his contract with the Roosters registered was the fact his manager Khoder Nasser was not an accredited NRL agent. However, Rennie said there would be no such issues if he wanted to return to rugby union.
''Khoder was easy to work with despite what other people would say,'' Rennie said. ''I think we were upfront with our expectations of Sonny, especially in and around the boxing, and so were they and I think everybody delivered. So it was a pretty easy marriage to be honest.''
Williams has been in devastating form with the ball in recent weeks since switching to the right side of the Roosters attack. But Mitch Brown, who will be part of the Bulldogs left side defence trying to stop Shaun Kenny-Dowall and Roger Tuivasa-Sheck from capitalising on his offloads, welcomed the challenge.
''It's going to be tough but I think we can handle it,'' Brown said. ''We can't hold off and let Sonny play too much.''
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/l...#ixzz2Q1338rbe
While Williams is set to help draw another big crowd on Friday night for his first appearance against the club he walked out on five years ago, Rennie is hoping he will return to play for another of his former teams next season.
''Obviously we will try to get him next year,'' Rennie said. ''Obviously there is a bit of stuff to be sorted. But we are certainly trying to catch up with him when we are over in Sydney in a couple of weeks time and we are pretty keen to lure him back as soon as possible.''
Since the Bulldogs were paid $750,000 in 2008 to release him from the remaining four years of his contract, Williams has only signed for one season at a time and his deal with the Roosters expires on October 31.
Advertisement Roosters boss Nick Politis has made it clear he wants Williams to stay next year and Kiwi officials are hopeful he will be available to play in the end of season World Cup.
The Roosters had issues with the NRL registering a ''vanilla contract'' for Williams after he agreed to honour a handshake agreement with Politis to return to rugby league at the conclusion of a short stint in Japanese rugby union and a fight against South African heavyweight Francois Botha in February.
The NRL eventually registered Williams' contract six days before the season opener between the Roosters and the Rabbitohs but it unclear if the 27-year-old would encounter similar hurdles if he was to re-sign for next season.
Williams has left no doubt he looks upon his time at the Chiefs with great affection, and Rennie hoped the dual international would return to the team he helped to the Super Rugby title last season, as a replacement for fellow All Black Richard Kahui, who is playing in Japan next year.
''He will come back to rugby, when is the big question,'' Rennie told Radio Sport. ''I think he is almost certain to be here in a World Cup year and he will definitely come back to the Chiefs.
''Obviously there is a bit of stuff to be sorted. I know he is going great guns for Sydney [Roosters] at the moment so whether he ends up staying another year … or whether he comes back to rugby sooner I am not sure.''
One of the problems Williams faced in having his contract with the Roosters registered was the fact his manager Khoder Nasser was not an accredited NRL agent. However, Rennie said there would be no such issues if he wanted to return to rugby union.
''Khoder was easy to work with despite what other people would say,'' Rennie said. ''I think we were upfront with our expectations of Sonny, especially in and around the boxing, and so were they and I think everybody delivered. So it was a pretty easy marriage to be honest.''
Williams has been in devastating form with the ball in recent weeks since switching to the right side of the Roosters attack. But Mitch Brown, who will be part of the Bulldogs left side defence trying to stop Shaun Kenny-Dowall and Roger Tuivasa-Sheck from capitalising on his offloads, welcomed the challenge.
''It's going to be tough but I think we can handle it,'' Brown said. ''We can't hold off and let Sonny play too much.''
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/l...#ixzz2Q1338rbe
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