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'We are assuming that they're not going to be there' - Blues coach Leon MacDonald resigned to losing key veterans

By Online Editors
Sonny Bill Williams and Ma'a Nonu. (Photo by Phil Walter/Getty Images)

Blues head coach Leon MacDonald isn’t expecting star midfielders Sonny Bill Williams and Ma’a Nonu to return to the Auckland franchise next season.

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Speaking to the New Zealand Herald after his side’s 22-all draw with the Bulls at Eden Park on Friday, MacDonald said the Blues weren’t in negotiations for a new contract with either player for next year.

“We are assuming that they’re not going to be there – that’s the way we’re looking at it,” MacDonald said.

“It would be more of a surprise to see them stay and play another season in New Zealand – put it that way.

“I’m assuming they’re more interested in another option, but if they came back to us and said New Zealand is where they want to be for another year then we’d definitely be talking.”

At the ages of 37 and 33, Nonu and Williams are in the twilights of their respective professional sporting careers, but both will take vast amounts of experience with them.

Nonu made his Super Rugby debut in 2003 for the Hurricanes, and has gone on to amass 173 appearances with the Wellington-based club, the Blues and the Highlanders to add to his 103 test caps two World Cup titles attained with the All Blacks.

He has been in good form for MacDonald’s side this year – his third stint with the club – making 12 appearances and scoring three times.

Despite this, an improbable return to the All Blacks squad for the World Cup remains unlikely due to the conveyer belt of talent ahead of Nonu in the midfield.

Reports earlier this week suggested that he could make a remarkable return to Toulon once his time with the Blues comes to an end, re-joining the French club he played for between 2016 and 2018 as replacement for the New York-bound Mathieu Bastareaud.

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Williams, meanwhile, has hardly featured for the Blues since the beginning of last year, playing just six times in 2018, and only five times this year.

His limited game time in Super Rugby is the result of injuries sustained over the course of 15 years at the top level of both rugby union and rugby league.

Nevertheless, his inclusion in the All Blacks’ World Cup squad appears inevitable should he be fit for the tournament given his experience and talent on both sides of the ball.

It would be the 51-test star’s third, and likely final, outing at the sport’s global showpiece event, where he will look to add a third successive winners medal to the two Super Rugby crowns and two NRL titles he’s claimed across union and league.

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Williams won’t be short of options when his current contract with New Zealand Rugby runs out at the end of this year, with a return to European or Japanese rugby, or rugby league in Australia, the United Kingdom or North America, all still on the table.

He could also opt to resume his stagnant professional boxing career, while a move into retirement could also be imminent.

Williams is set to return from a long-term knee injury, which has sidelined him since late March, against the Reds in Brisbane next Friday.

In other news:

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Adrian 1 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

Thanks Nick The loss of players to OS, injury and retirement is certainly not helping the Crusaders. Ditto the coach. IMO Penny is there to hold the fort and cop the flak until new players and a new coach come through,…and that's understood and accepted by Penny and the Crusaders hierarchy. I think though that what is happening with the Crusaders is an indicator of what is happening with the other NZ SRP teams…..and the other SRP teams for that matter. Not enough money. The money has come via the SR competition and it’s not there anymore. It's in France, Japan and England. Unless or until something is done to make SR more SELLABLE to the NZ/Australia Rugby market AND the world rugby market the $s to keep both the very best players and the next rung down won't be there. They will play away from NZ more and more. I think though that NZ will continue to produce the players and the coaches of sufficient strength for NZ to have the capacity to stay at the top. Whether they do stay at the top as an international team will depend upon whether the money flowing to SRP is somehow restored, or NZ teams play in the Japan comp, or NZ opts to pick from anywhere. As a follower of many sports I’d have to say that the organisation and promotion of Super Rugby has been for the last 20 years closest to the worst I’ve ever seen. This hasn't necessarily been caused by NZ, but it’s happened. Perhaps it can be fixed, perhaps not. The Crusaders are I think a symptom of this, not the cause

11 Go to comments
T
Trevor 4 hours ago
Will forgotten Wallabies fit the Joe Schmidt model?

Thanks Brett.. At last a positive article on the potential of Wallaby candidates, great to read. Schmidt’s record as an international rugby coach speaks for itself, I’m somewhat confident he will turn the Wallaby’s fortunes around …. on the field. It will be up to others to steady the ship off the paddock. But is there a flaw in my optimism? We have known all along that Australia has the players to be very competitive with their international rivals. We know that because everyone keeps telling us. So why the poor results? A question that requires a definitive answer before the turn around can occur. Joe Schmidt signed on for 2 years, time to encompass the Lions tour of 2025. By all accounts he puts family first and that’s fair enough, but I would wager that his 2 year contract will be extended if the next 18 months or so shows the statement “Australia has the players” proves to be correct. The new coach does not have a lot of time to meld together an outfit that will be competitive in the Rugby Championship - it will be interesting to see what happens. It will be interesting to see what happens with Giteau law, the new Wallaby coach has already verbalised that he would to prefer to select from those who play their rugby in Australia. His first test in charge is in July just over 3 months away .. not a long time. I for one wish him well .. heaven knows Australia needs some positive vibes.

21 Go to comments
B
Bull Shark 8 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

Of the rugby I’ve born witness to in my lifetime - 1990 to date - I recognize great players throughout those years. But I have no doubt the game and the players are on average better today. So I doubt going back further is going to prove me wrong. The technical components of the game, set pieces, scrums, kicks, kicks at goal. And in general tactics employed are far more efficient, accurate and polished. Professional athletes that have invested countless hours on being accurate. There is one nation though that may be fairly competitive in any era - and that for me is the all blacks. And New Zealand players in general. NZ produces startling athletes who have fantastic ball skills. And then the odd phenomenon like Brooke. Lomu. Mcaw. Carter. Better than comparing players and teams across eras - I’ve often had this thought - that it would be very interesting to have a version of the game that is closer to its original form. What would the game look like today if the rules were rolled back. Not rules that promote safety obviously - but rules like: - a try being worth 1 point and conversion 2 points. Hence the term “try”. Earning a try at goals. Would we see more attacking play? - no lifting in the lineouts. - rucks and break down laws in general. They looked like wrestling matches in bygone eras. I wonder what a game applying 1995 rules would look like with modern players. It may be a daft exercise, but it would make for an interesting spectacle celebrating “purer” forms of the game that roll back the rules dramatically by a few versions. Would we come to learn that some of the rules/combinations of the rules we see today have actually made the game less attractive? I’d love to see an exhibition match like that.

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