With the Toronto Wolfpack withdrawing from the English Super League season and their Australian and New Zealand talent becoming free agents for the remainder of the year, Sonny Bill Williams' potential return is again the buzz of the NRL world - but it shouldn't be.
Under normal circumstances, itwould make sense for any team to want to sign the 34-year-old. He's a massive name and one people would pay to see regardless of how much of an impact he makes.
The 2020 season is not being played under normal circumstances, however. Fan numbers are extremely limited and there's no need for a team to rush to pull off what could turn into an expensive PR stunt.
The Sydney Roosters have emerged as the front-runner if Williams is to return to the NRL, while Warriors CEO Cameron George confirmed that the club had been in touch with Williams' management team.
There are 10 games left in the season. The Warriors aren't a long way outside of a playoff spot, but they sure aren't playing like a team capable of winning the competition. If Williams - who would have to observe a two-week quarantine period - was going to come in and instantly change that, then he would be worth considering. But it's not going to happen.
Sonny Bill Williams joined the Toronto Wolfpack after the 2019 Rugby World Cup. Photo / Getty Images
Of the Warriors' last 10 games, only four are against teams currently outside of the top eight. One of those is against the Cronulla Sharks, the same team who thrashed them 46-10 last weekend, and two are against the Manly Sea Eagles - a team the Warriors have handled well over the past couple of seasons but one who have emerged as genuine, if inconsistent, contenders.
Williams led the Super League through the opening five rounds in offloads with 23. He was tackling well, making 21 and missing one on average, but he also averaged just 6m per carry, and more than two errors per game; his 12 errors being the second-most in the competition.
If he was running through the competition in the Northern Hemisphere, he would be worth the punt. But he's merely contributing. What he's shown in the Super League isn't going to save the Warriors' season.
Bringing Williams into the frame does nothing more than limit the game time of hungry young second rowers like Eliesa Katoa, Jack Murchie and Isaiah Papali'i. The Warriors do need loanees to fill some gaps left by injuries and players leaving the team, but there have to be more sensible answers than Williams, as coach Todd Payten pointed out.
Sonny Bill Williams was part of the Grand Final winning Sydney Roosters in 2013. Photo / Getty Images
George believes while Williams would help them on the field, having him around the group would have more of an impact in lifting the morale of the players.
It's a similar case for the Roosters, who simply don't need Williams. They're already scoring at a greater rate than any other team in the competition, and their stocks in the pack are stacked, despite injuries to Victor Radley, Sam Verrills and Angus Crichton.
Granted, Williams would do well in Sydney and it would be a much better fit than joining the Warriors. But running off the likes of Luke Keary, Kyle Flanagan and James Tedesco, who find holes in defences seemingly at will, is a forward's dream, and any forward who can run a half-decent line would do well with the Roosters.
With no chance of increased ticket sales to make the prospect more enticing, and the fact he will not be available immediately, signing Williams comes across as a decision based on little more than a "because we can" mentality.
