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The impact of Sonny Bill Williams’ return to the NRL has been immediate and extensive, according to newly appointed CEO Andrew Abdo.
The 35-year-old returns to the Roosters’ team for the first time since 2014 when he takes on the Raiders at Canberra’s GIO Stadium on Saturday night.
Abdo will be there, but primarily to deliver the ball of the game to 300-man Josh Morris and not to look at Williams.
But he acknowledged on the Triple M Saturday Footy Show what it means for the rugby league ‘brand’ to have former international Kiwis and All Blacks on Australian soil.
“Sonny Bill brings something unique. He has the X factor. He is an incredible athlete and his game has shown how long he has been in his career,” Abdo told Triple M.
“And you can put a dollar value on it. It received 17,000 media mentions in the run-up to this week’s game.
“We quantify it somewhere in the region of $ 30 million in terms of the value of print, digital, radio and television media.
“It also means that rugby union fans here and in New Zealand and elsewhere will likely score to see [Roosters v Raiders] and see how entertaining, good and tough our competition is.
“So there is another benefit.”
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Abdo also said that fans of Josh Morris and his brother Brett would also be tuned in.
“Josh will become the 41st player to reach 300 games and that’s out of more than 10,000 players who have played first grade, so it’s an incredible feat,” Abdo said.
“He’s made 145 attempts, so it’s like every second game he scores a try. So it’s a real honor to be there and present him with the match ball.”
Abdo also told Triple M that he liked the loan system employed by the Warriors this year by having first-graders who couldn’t run at his NRL club, able to play due to a high number of Warriors injuries. .
He said it would be considered in a post-2020 report to see if it had merits to continue in 2021.
“I don’t know the answer to that yet, but we will certainly see it in the offseason because it has worked so well,” Abdo said.
“Given the limitations of the season, it was great to see someone like [George] Jennings playing for the Warriors and it wouldn’t have happened in a normal year and he would have done so well.
“It is something on the radar that we will debate the merits of and work with the clubs and it is possible that that will remain in the future, absolutely.”
‘Favorite’ twin Josh poised to hit 300 game milestone
Finally, he was asked if he felt any discomfort in the AFL gaining ground in Queensland by staging their grand finale on October 24 at the ‘Gabba.
He said support for the third and final Origin game of the 2020 rugby league season would have a bigger impact.
“On November 18 he will have a very special game in Brisbane and that will be State of Origin’s third game,” he said.
“Queensland is full of people who live and breathe rugby league. So it will be a real show.
“I haven’t seen too much AFL this year, I haven’t had time, but I’m not too worried. Queensland is the heart of rugby league.”
The NRL has not officially confirmed the venues for the November 4, 11 and 18 games, but now everyone knows that Brisbane will host Origin III.
