Tuqiri Tells Sonny Bill Critics: Shut Your Mouth Until You Know The Facts
Sydney Morning Herald
Wednesday June 11, 2008
WALLABY Lote Tuqiri has rebuked critics of league star Sonny Bill Williams, telling them to shut their mouths until they find out the facts. Tuqiri says he does not know the details of Williams's contract wrangle with the Bulldogs - nor wants to - but says a lot of people appear to be on their high horses about it.
"Unless you know the specifics I ask people not to judge," Tuqiri told the Herald. "I know it is hard not to, but there are some specifics there that people probably don't know about. He is obviously a public figure and will make harsh judgments, good judgments on what he wants. But I would reserve my judgment until I knew exactly what was going on. No one is going to know that, unless you are him."Tuqiri said he empathised with the 22-year-old, recalling the circus involving his own negotiations with the Australian Rugby Union and Waratahs. He admitted the spotlight on the bargaining process he went through last year, when he signed a five-year deal worth a reported $6 million, placed so much pressure on him that it affected his game."A lot of people get on their high horses and think they know what is going on," Tuqiri said. "I would probably say to people, 'Shut your mouth. You don't know what is going on'. I feel sorry for him. If I can say [to the critics], 'Reserve your judgment until you know what are the intricacies of the deal, or of the deals'."If they don't know what is going on, leave the powers that be who know what is going on to deal with it ... him, his manager and the Bulldogs. Unless something comes from what they say, everything else should be thought of as rubbish, really."Tuqiri, 28, weathered his own storm and is enjoying his best season. He shone for NSW in the Super 14 and on Saturday he will play for the Wallabies in their first Test of the year, against Ireland at Telstra Dome in Melbourne.Williams is at loggerheads with the Bulldogs over a number of issues, including the $400,000-a-year, five-year deal he signed last year. Tuqiri is an avid admirer of Williams's footballing prowess, and firmly believes that he could make it in rugby.He tips Williams would be a far better convert than All Blacks and Crusaders second-rower Brad Thorn, who has switched codes twice from the Broncos and has been the only forward to make a successful transition. "He is a freak of an athlete first," Tuqiri said of Williams, adding that he could play in the second or back row. "He is a big tall unit. His vertical jump would be massive. So catching balls in the lineout, [playing as] a great ball runner, plus as a distributor. They are all things that would be great tools for rugby. Not bagging 'Thorny', but this guy is a bit more agile. He can play the game. 'Thorny' obviously can as well. But Sonny Bill is probably on another level."Meanwhile, Tuqiri believes the self-confidence the Waratahs showed this year to finish off tight Super 14 games and deal with external pressures, such as the coaching fiasco, could rub off on the Wallabies. Of the 30-man Wallabies squad that will be cut today when the first Test line-up is announced, 13 are Waratahs."Life is all about experiences and learning from them. And the experiences we had at the Tahs this year will help if things go sour, or if we need to go through things off the field, game-plan wise or strategy-wise," Tuqiri said. "We did that well as players at the Tahs this year. Hopefully we can bring that into this Wallaby team. If we can pick up some stuff from [Wallabies coach] Robbie [Deans] and the other provinces as well ... but by the way we went this year, there are certainly a lot of positives that we can bring."More rugby - Page 34
© 2008 Sydney Morning Herald
