League: Kiwis face up to 'huge' loss of Williams

Sonny Bill Williams is out for eight weeks. Picture / Kenny Rodger

Losing young superstar Sonny Bill Williams for the Anzac test was "huge", but his health was the most important consideration, New Zealand convenor of selectors Keith Pittman said today.

Williams, 19, is expected to be sidelined for eight weeks with an ankle ligament injury, ruling him out of the test against Australia in Brisbane on April 22.

Pittman was philosophical about not being able to call on the Canterbury Bulldogs back rower, who made his test debut in the corresponding match 12 months ago.

"The young man has a long career ahead of him and he needs to recuperate and get right," he said.

"We've still got the Tri-Nations at the end of the year."

The unavailability of Williams, who is also suffering from a suspected case of the mumps, is the only major setback so far for the selectors, who will name an expanded squad on Tuesday.

Pittman said the squad would be one of the harder ones to choose in terms of deciding who to leave out.

"The beauty is that all our guys in the National Rugby League and the Super League are playing extremely well and all apart from Sonny Bill appear to be fit," he said.

"The list is long and distinguished and it's going to be very difficult to pick."

Meanwhile, Pittman said the New Zealand Rugby League (NZRL) had not made a further approach to Karmichael Hunt since the Brisbane fullback opted against playing for the Kiwis last year.

Hunt, who was born in Auckland and moved to Queensland when he was 14, wants to play State of Origin league for the Maroons, which would make him ineligible to represent New Zealand.

But Queensland legend Artie Beetson has argued that the annual series should be confined to Australians, saying it would be a tragedy if Hunt, 18, were picked for Origin.

"It would be different if he was born in Australia but the bottom line is his parents are Kiwis," Beetson said.

Pittman said he would love to have Hunt in a New Zealand jumper, but the NZRL had not raised the matter again with him.

"He has made it quite clear in the past what he wants and I've been quite clear about players having the passion for the jersey," he said.

"We'll just leave it there for the time being."

- NZPA