Meanderings

The SBW Thing

Posted by: Samiuela LV Taufa on August 15, 2008 11:53:21 AM

I had hoped that that Sonny Bill William’s saga would have died away by now, but I guess it just wanted to have as many people push across their own agenda items. Sonny Bill Williams (SBW) is an incredible high profile athlete who played Rugby League in Sydney for the Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs. My son’s team.

In short, SBW left in July for France, breaking an existing player contract (with lot’s of money) to go to France for even more money. The bigger story is more complicated, otherwise the ditched club and industry (CB Bulldogs, Australia’s National Rugby League) wouldn’t be spending heaps of money on lawyers to try and prevent SBW from playing in France.

Apart from the legal jurisdictional, sovereignty land mines with this law suite, you have to wonder how real this effort is in suing someone to come back and play for you. How is that to work? Supposedly SBW will be forced to come back and play with the CBB, and he is supposedly going to run on the park every week-end putting in his best because he has been shown the LOVE by his club.

Breaking Contract.

I’ve heard some flawed commentators (former players) going on and on about how vile this whole thing of breaking his contract. All while forgetting their own high profile, press covered, contractual fights where he and his employer reneged on a number of contractual details.

Contracts are for the benefit of the guy/gal with the biggest stick. Unfortunately for the NRL, SBW spewed in their face and put himself a distance away where he hopes the NRL’s big stick can’t touch him.

You really have to watch “The Legend of Johnny Lingo” to get a Pacific view of what contract negotiations should be, as opposed to the bastardised system it is now. It shouldn’t just be a Pacific view.

Differences

If you are running a Million/Billion dollar organisation, such as the the NRL or Australian Rugby Union (ARU) and are dependent on Pacific Islanders as part of your product, then I think it behoves you as a business to get a better understanding of your product.

If in Australia and you manage such a corporation and you’ve never been to a Kava Party, or a Hangi, a Pacific Wedding, or a Funeral, never seen at least “The Laughing Samoans,” or “Sione’s Wedding,” or God forbid you’ve never seen “The Legend of Johnny Lingo,” please don’t even assert that you have any idea about your Pacific bread.

If you’ve not gone to church with a Pacific Islander, you’re never going to understand the social binding integration of Pasifika.

Recent high-profile (huge money spinner) moves by ‘Isileli Folau at the Melbourne Storm moving to Brisbane, as well as Digby Ioane moving from the Western Australia Force back to Brisbane should have rung bells in the hallowed halls.

Islanders aren’t whites, they’re not blacks, they’re not like your other products. They’re loyalties and frames of reference are different.

In New Zealand the whole Islander thing was forced on the white culture by the gangs, and has evolved into a deeper cohesion between the different cultures. Of course, people being forcibly moved from their land may some day display anti-social behaviour and in retrospect you’ve got to consider the Maori and Samoan response have been quite civilised. In Australia, minor cultures are easily subverted and/or ignored.

Move On

The SBW saga highlights a number of shortcomings in the existing entertainment industry using athletes.

Either the industries learn from it and deal with it in a constructive manner or things are going to get from worse to worse.

The Pacific Islander issue needs to be reviewed and dealt with, that’s one way forward. This has always been a problem brushed under the table in Rugby League and increasing in Rugby Union.