Sonny Bill Williams highlights may have been regular viewing for a teenage John Bateman but the Canberra ace says they won’t spend much time poring over the returning Sydney Roosters superstar this week.
Last year’s grand finalists will clash at GIO Stadium on Saturday night with excitement brewing over Williams’ return to the NRL for the first time since 2014.
The Raiders are gunning for two wins in a season against the Roosters, which they haven’t achieved since 1990, when Canberra won the premiership.
Melbourne showed it’s possible three weeks ago, knocking off the back-to-back titleholders for the second time this year.
Bateman described fellow second-rower Williams as a “massive” name, noting his achievements in rugby league, rugby union and boxing.
Bateman said the 35-year-old Kiwi is also a superstar back in his UK home and admitted he’d seen plenty of him while growing up.
“He’s massive – as a kid, probably 14 or 15, I watched his highlights non-stop,” Bateman said on Wednesday.
“Everyone knows who he is in the world and he’s huge for the sport – he’s been one of the best players in the game.
“But we’re just looking at it as someone else we’re playing against this week who is a good player so we need to look out for him.”
Bateman, awarded Dally M second-rower in 2019, said he wouldn’t go looking for Williams who has been named on the bench.
“Probably not cause it will take me off my game,” the 26-year-old said.
“I’ll just concentrate on my game and try and do what I do and if he comes up on my edge then so be it.”
Canberra prop Josh Papalii says coach Ricky Stuart won’t allow his team to get star-struck by Williams, given the host of other game-breakers within the Roosters’ ranks.
“Knowing Stick (Stuart) as a coach, Sonny probably won’t be the focus,” Papalii said.
“It’s players around Sonny that make Sonny a good player and we’re playing the Roosters, who have won back-to-back premierships and I think the focus will be on guys like (Boyd) Cordner, their halves, Tedesco.”
An undermanned Canberra side upset the Roosters 24-20 in round 10 and Papalii said his forward pack needed to stand up if they were to repeat the feat.
“With Jared (Waerea-Hargraves) leading the way for them it’s obviously going to be a tough one for us on Sunday but we have some young boys at the club who are keen to play some footy so that might work in our favour,” he said.