League: McClennan dismisses suggestion Williams might make Tri-Nations

Sonny Bill Williams

Coach Brian McClennan today dismissed a suggestion that star forward Sonny Bill Williams might still be a starter for the Kiwis' defence of their Tri-Nations rugby league crown.

Williams, 21, has a persistent knee injury, but his agent, Gavin Orr, said the Canterbury Bulldog was not out of the reckoning for the series starting this month.

Orr told today's Daily Telegraph newspaper in Sydney that McClennan was "surmising the worst" when he ruled Williams out last weekend.

"We only had the scans done on Friday and we won't be going to see the doctor until tomorrow," Orr said, adding that it was not yet certain that Williams would need surgery.

But McClennan today indicated that Williams would not be in the 24-strong Kiwis squad to be named on Wednesday.

"Our doctor has been liaising with their doctor and we've got the medical reports from his MRI (scan)," he told NZPA.

"Sonny Bill won't be playing."

McClennan described the absence of Williams from the series for a second successive year as "a tragedy".

"He really wants to play internationals, but his knee is in bad shape," he said.

"He needs an operation and he needs it straight away. He needs to get it right. We want to see Sonny Bill around for another 10 years, not another one year."

Apart from Williams, other Kiwis unavailable through injury include Matt Utai (Bulldogs), Benji Marshall (Wests Tigers), Jake Webster (Melbourne Storm), David Faiumu (North Queensland) and Louis Anderson (New Zealand Warriors).

Also ruled out is English-based test winger Lesley Vainikolo.

Vainikolo scored a 90m solo try yesterday to help to take Bradford to within one match of the Super League grand final, but he also needs knee surgery.

Meanwhile, McClennan said the 23-strong Australian squad named today contained no surprises.

The squad include seven uncapped players and the return to international football of former Parramatta centre Jamie Lyon, now with English Super League club St Helens.

There are just nine survivors from the Australian 17 who overwhelmed the Kiwis 50-12 in the Anzac test in May, with international retirement and injuries being the main reasons.

"Any of their players are more than capable," McClennan said.

"Has anyone seen a bad Australian side in the past 30 to 40 years?"

He said the depth of Australian league meant the Kangaroos would be able to cope with the loss of champion playmaker Andrew Johns, whose final test outing was in this year's Anzac international.

"They are well served," he said.

"They have Darren Lockyer who just gets better and better and they have the Dally M player of the year in Cameron Smith at acting half. It's a very, very strong Australian squad."

- NZPA