Get Sonny Bill on the pitch

The match against Tonga will be a good chance to get Sonny Bill Williams on the field. Photo / Getty Images

Sonny Bill Williams is a rare talent and I think we have to use him - probably in the first World Cup match against Tonga.

I know a lot of people are pointing the finger at Sonny Bill and blaming him for the contract delay which seems to be affecting his time in the All Blacks. But I don't blame him - or no further than his choice of people he works with, anyway.

Unfortunately, it appears that the advice he is getting is making him look as though he isn't really conducting himself in the manner becoming of a good rugby person. I haven't met either Khoder Nasser, his manager, or his supposed best mate, Anthony Mundine, but I can see and hear what they are saying; and I don't think they are doing Sonny Bill much good.

It was the same when he was in rugby league. He was led into a communuity that misbehaved, and he did too. He is a rare talent but that means little unless it can get on the field and be used. I think one of his advisers has said that he doesn't want Sonny Bill to stay anywhere for more than a couple of years.

Well, if that's the case, he will be seen as a fly-by-nighter and will struggle to be held in high esteem with anyone. All this stuff regarding his contract should have been settled with the NZRU ages ago, well before the World Cup. I don't think his advisers are doing him any favours whatsoever. Look at the difference now between the way Ma'a Nonu is viewed - and that after the season he's had up to this point - and Sonny Bill.

Nonu has had all those problems with the Hurricanes and has left for the Blues - and is then going to Japan. But he has stayed committed to New Zealand rugby through all that and has stood up straight, taken his knocks on the chin and has told us all what he's going to do. Sonny Bill hasn't.

In the meantime, Nonu has done his talking on the field and allowed his problems to be rectified by his play. That's what Sonny Bill needs to do now. He is an exceptional talent who could just hold the difference between winning the World Cup and not. If he is mucked around to this extent by his advisers - rather than telling him to forget about the endorsements and just get on with it - they are playing poker with his future.

Look at the possible scenarios. There the All Blacks are, playing Australia in a massive Cup match. Sonny Bill throws a miracle ball and we score under the posts and win by a single point. Then there's the other scenario - he throws a miracle ball intercepted by Digby Ioane and we lose by a single point. After all this nonsense, he would still be a hero if his miracle ball works. But if it doesn't, his name will be mud in New Zealand rugby forever.

Like I say, I think his people are playing games with him; and us. He's already had the recent example of Luke McAlister, someone who is now perceived as a player without much loyalty to province and country. The answer might be to get Williams on the field now and we have a chance to do so against Tonga.

I think there are some people who need more game time and we should do that. I know others are saying that we should play our best 22 all the time now and not experiment - but I don't see this as experimenting but bringing the squad up to speed. We can also give some a rest who need it - like Richie McCaw.

He'll start against Tonga and the selectors have said he'll start all the way through now. But he got pretty battered against Australia and there's no sense in worsening that if they are going well against Tonga. I'd get him off early if things are going well.

My team to start against Tonga would be: Tony Woodcock, Andrew Hore, John Afoa, Ali Williams, Anthony Boric, McCaw, Jerome Kaino and Victor Vito in the forwards. In the backs: Piri Weepu, Dan Carter, Sonny Bill, Richard Kahui, Cory Jane and Isaia Toeava, with Israel Dagg at the back. The subs would be Keven Mealamu, Ben Franks, Brad Thorn, Sam Whitelock, Jimmy Cowan, Colin Slade and Nonu.