Sonny Bill Saga Over - For $750,000

Sydney Morning Herald

Saturday August 16, 2008

Andrew Webster

THE former Labor powerbroker Graham Richardson ended the Sonny Bill Williams saga last night, brokering a deal between the renegade footballer and the Bulldogs.

The club verbally agreed to a $750,000 payout from Williams, allowing him to break a five-year deal to take up a $2 million contract with the French rugby union side Toulon.

In an unprecedented move for rugby league, Williams decided to negotiate the deal himself and offer his former club $750,000 to end court action against him.

Canterbury's board baulked at the figure late yesterday and demanded $1 million.

Keen to end the melodrama over the future of its runaway star, and wary of protracted legal wrangling, the club finally came to a deal late last night.

"We've had some good discussions and we're close to finalising a deal," the Bulldogs' chief executive, Todd Greenberg, told the Herald. "We're not prepared to speculate on the details. But we're confident that we can finalise the details over the weekend."

Sport - Page 65

© 2008 Sydney Morning Herald

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