Sonny Ball
Paul Kent
Publication:
12 August 2015, RRP 39.99, Trade Paperback
Macmillan Australia
Like most legends, we heard about Sonny Bill Williams before we saw
him.
Fast, powerful, handsome, enigmatic, Sonny Bill
is the kind of once-in-a-lifetime player coaches build premierships on, and
clubs create dynasties around. But 'SBW' is not like other footballers.
He was rugby league's youngest ever contracted
player yet walked out in 2008, breaking his contract with the Bulldogs to play
rugby union in France. The NRL vowed never to have him back. Yet in Europe,
Sonny Bill's star never dimmed. His legend only grew.
When Sonny Bill returned to his birthplace, he
helped Canterbury Crusaders to a Super Rugby final before leading Waikato
Chiefs to its inaugural title the next year. In between he helped the All
Blacks win their first Rugby World Cup since 1987… oh, and he became WBA
heavyweight boxing champion. Then SBW returned to League, led the Roosters to
the 2013 premiership before signing a multi-million dollar deal for Adidas and
switching back to Union again for the All Blacks’ 2015 World Cup defence.
It’s an extraordinary story and Paul Kent’s SONNY
BALL tells it in an extraordinary way. This is more than a story just about
SBW, however. SONNY BALL is a story about rugby league, specifically the
National Rugby League. And SONNY BALL is a story about rugby union,
specifically the New Zealand Rugby Union.
Most of all, SONNY BALL is the story of how
sporting organisations in two codes and on both sides of the ditch moved away
from basic, almost sacred principles to accommodate the mighty talent of Sonny
Bill Williams and how neither game will be the same again now “SBW” has walked
through it. Success is currency. Memories are short. Loyalty is overrated. Star
power eclipses everything. Welcome to Sonny Ball.
About the author
Paul Kent has been a
journalist for 25 years and he covered the Olympic Games and World Cups in
rugby and soccer. Paul was Feature Writer of the Year at the 2009 News Awards
and his first book, Johnny Lewis: The
Story of Australia's King of Boxing, was published in 2010 to wide acclaim.
He lives in Sydney.
No comments:
Post a Comment