‘You never know,’ he says
Sonny Bill Williams yesterday answered the multi-millio n-tala question for Samoa.
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Would he ever pull on Samoa’s blue jersey – whether it’s the Manu Samoa or Toa Samoa?
Responding to a very passionately worded question from the crowd at a press conference yesterday about whether or not he would play for the Toa or Manu Samoa – Sonny Bill just smiled and “you sound a bit…like my old man”.
“My old man is always asking me when am I going to play for the Toa Samoa,” he said.
“But you know, I think everyone in this room can understand that I am a proud New Zealander as well, I am proud of being from New Zealand."
“I am also proud of being from Samoa so you know you never know."
“I would love to put on the blue jersey one day but at this stage of my career I am vying obviously to play for the Kiwis or the All Blacks."
“I don’t want to say that and disrespect anyone in this room today disrespect any of my Samoan brothers or sisters, because I am the first to jump up and say that I am a proud Samoan.”
Once that elephant had been led out of the room the league legend showed some passion himself when he spoke of one part of his heritage, that he believes made him the sportsman he is today.
“Obviously I wouldn’t be the player of the sportsman that I am today without my Polynesian background,” he said.
“That fire, that Samoan fire, that you see in the sportsman that represent Samoa come with, that is in all of us."
“I don't know if it was from the fasi's (hidings) that I used to get from my old man when I was young but I have always had that throughout my career and I will always be thankful for having that."
“I guess that is why you see my tattoos."
“I am a bit embarrassed that I can’t speak Samoan but I tend to show how proud I am just by acknowledging and through tattoos and saying that I am a proud Samoan.”
Earlier in the day, Sonny Bill had a skills clinic with some local school children. So did he see any potential out there on the field?
“It was great fun this morning in the rain just running around with the kids,” he said.
“I think you just have to look at the statistics in the NRL at the moment 40 per cent that is a telling number of players that are from the…islands.
“It is awesome to see Dave Smith (National Rugby League Commission C.E.O.) get behind us and open up some more avenues for aspiring kids that want to make a living out of…a successful living out of this you know not just for themselves but for their families open up here in Samoa in Fiji and in Tonga.
“Hopefully in the future there will be more programs put in place but at this stage it is a great initiative from the N.R.L.”
Did the great man have any advice for those who wanted to follow in his footsteps?
“Hard work and determination,” he said without hesitation.
“You know anything is possible, 40 is a telling number like I said, and if I can make it some of the kids can.
“You know cause I didn’t come from much, I came from pretty much nothing.
“You know I wasn't the smartest at school either I will admit to that.
“But what I did do I was determined and I was hardworking in my trade and that was footy.”
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