Students give Chiefs a grilling

RESPECT: Sonny Bill Williams talks to school students at Western Heights High School during a trip to Rotorua yesterday. PHOTOS/BEN FRASER 080515BF7

DESPITE a brilliant career which has seen Sonny Bill Williams win title after title in league and rugby, the Chiefs star knows what it is like to cop plenty of criticism.

Williams, along with fellow Chiefs players Sam Cane, Jamie Mackintosh, James Lowe and Siate Tokolahi visited Western Heights High School yesterday, while their teammates also spread out through Rotorua.

During a question-and-answer session with students at Western Heights, the players were asked - how do you deal with criticism?

"I know for myself it comes with the territory.

"If you look at the best sportsmen in the world, they always cop criticism," Williams said.

"[But] as long as you can keep the respect of your peers by doing the little things and hard things that people don't see on TV then that is a big thing."

This weekend, the Chiefs have a bye and will get a chance to rest their bodies ahead of their next fixture against the high-flying Hurricanes.

The Super Rugby team visited Rotorua to promote their up-coming match at the Rotorua International Stadium on Friday, May 22, against the Bulls.

Reporoa All Black Cane was one of the fan favourites during the session at Western Heights.

One question that came his way was about discipline - how do you deal with aggression on the field without hitting somebody?

"There is always times on the field when you get frustrated but you are not helping your team by doing that [getting into a fight], 99 times out of 100 it's going to get picked up and you are just going to put your team under more pressure," Cane said.

"The best way you can try and help your team is to channel that aggression another way, such as carrying up the ball hard."

Cane said he was looking forward to playing near his hometown again and had not played at the Rotorua International Stadium in a long time.

The Chiefs are currently looking good to secure a play-offs spot come June but have five games left in the regular season, including two matches against the Hurricanes.

- Tickets to the Chiefs versus Bulls match in Rotorua can be bought online at Ticket Direct, over the phone on 0800 484 253, or a limited number of tickets are available at the Sir Howard Morrison Performing Arts Centre on Fenton St.