All Blacks: Sonny Bill reaches decision over future

Sonny Bill Williams. Photo / Getty Images

Sonny Bill Williams has decided where he will ply his trade next year, with speculation mounting he is set to switch back to league.

NZRU chief executive Steve Tew today revealed the Chiefs second five has made up his mind over his future but refused to reveal where, and in which code, Williams will play next season.

Australian broadcaster and former Kangaroo Matthew Johns has previously stated his belief Williams will play in the NRL for the Sydney Roosters next year, and he reiterated that today.

Johns explained on Triple M that Williams was set for a sojourn to Japan to play rugby for Panasonic before switching codes for the second time and turning out for the Roosters.

"That was put on hold with the Japanese rugby offer,'' Johns said. "We can reveal now that by all reports we're hearing, the deal is all but done ... they believe that most certainly Sonny Bill Williams will be at the Roosters next year.

"But is it worth it? He's going to play 12 games in Japan with Panasonic. Through his time at the Roosters he'll go to South Africa to do one boxing match. And he'll only sign a one-year deal, so after 12 months of all that, you'll have to go through it again.''

Tew kept his lips sealed on the speculation and said he would allow Williams to make his decision public at his own discretion.

"We've put our position on the table for Sonny Bill. (Williams' agent) Khoder (Nasser) has respected that. They've made whatever decision they've made in the full knowledge of what we could do and what we wanted to do and unfortunately we are bound but his desire to announce that on a timeline that suits him not us.''

Williams, who scored two tries in the All Blacks' 60-0 defeat of Ireland on Saturday, is off contract with the NZRU at the end of the 2012 rugby season.