KEY POINTS:
Fame has turned to infamy for Sonny Bill Williams.
His walkout on rugby league's Canterbury Bulldogs to take up a massive union offer in France is a moment of sporting treachery, but also one which should force the NRL to take a hard-headed look at itself.
Williams has
acted dreadfully, there's no doubt about that. Just as he was upset with Willie Mason for quitting the Bulldogs, he has done a similar or even worse thing to teammates and fans who thought they were playing and supporting a club with SBW in the ranks.
Williams has, to some extent, been let down by a mismanaged and poorly coached club which has left his high talent marooned. But he has still betrayed his team and the fans.
Quitting mid-season in a huff and for the almighty dollar is a crass disgrace, the ultimate insult delivered to the sporting credo that you fight in the trenches for your mates. It is a black mark that will forever follow Sonny Bill Williams. At the very least, this young man who has received so much adulation for his football skill should have honoured his commitment this year, and then dealt with the situation in an honourable way.
He appears to be acting in an aggressive "I don't care" mode but there will surely be times when this decision comes back to haunt him.
However, the NRL also needs to seriously reconsider its salary cap, which is - absolutely - a restraint of trade on the players who must operate under it.
Professional league in Australia has a history of not going the extra mile to take care of its players with the result that things tend to blow up in their face.
This matter was at the heart of the Super League war, when an Australian Rugby League that cruised along on a sweetheart TV deal faced a revolt by players who, for instance, were earning a pittance for playing in the showcase State of Origin series.
At the very least, by world sporting standards, the cap is way too low and inflexible. It has also created a murky world of transgressions. How straight is the salary cap? Most importantly, the cap is hurting the NRL by stripping it of firepower to resist raids from Europe, often orchestrated by manipulative, greedy, agents.
The simple answer to sports which invoke salary caps saying they need them to protect struggling clubs is to reply "so what - that's life in the free market". This protectionist device is encouraging a dying game, one that is failing to pull the crowds as it should. The NRL needs to face up to reality and read the wind, instead of hiding from it.
But what of Sonny Bill and his search for a better life? Will he really find it in France and does money cure everything?
Because one of the things that will be waiting for Sonny Bill when he hops off the plane is Sonny Bill.
And what will his French club be getting - a young man on the run, a quitter who has forsaken one thing he could always rely on, his rugby league ability, who may have an alcohol problem, and is in the grip of something almost as strong, namely a militant manager.
This is not a recipe for success, not for Sonny Bill anyway. Crowds, money ... sounds good. But this is a man who apparently struggles with the limelight who is supposedly chasing even more of it.
He can hide in Europe, but not from himself. It's all getting complicated for a bloke who doesn't appear well-equipped to handle such pressures.
Rather than defiantly battling the NRL, Williams actually appears confused by life and his responsibilities. At the first sign of trouble, he was off to create a French farce. Once a feared footballer, he has become a figure of fun and scorn, although there are those who support his move and blame the NRL.
So, Sonny Bill Williams has found the high life, if he isn't hauled back by Australian courts.
On the surface, he is a winner, so why can't he shake the image of being a little boy lost?
Maybe Williams would actually have found something far richer by holding on at the Bulldogs - staying true to his word and signature - and fighting to turn the club around.
Williams still seems to think he can play for the All Blacks, even though they have a home-based selection criteria (Dan Carter excepted) and he will play for any old French club that waves the right amount of dosh.
The key in assessing Williams' move to rugby is that he, or his management, made the decision on money and not what would be best for his career. This is all about money, money and more money with principles only put forward as the get-out clause.
Sonny Bill Williams thinks he's moved on to the big top, but this great footballer has become a circus act.
