Sonny Williams wins 'most hated' in Aus
Mon, 22 Sep 2008 16:20
Controversial Rugby League deserter, Sonny Bill Williams, has pipped the likes of Bali bomber Amrozi to be voted as Australia's most hated person.
According to a men's magazine poll, the league-turned-union Kiwi bad boy has been officially named Australia's "most hated" person.
Williams' stocks began to fall after the League star turned his back on a five-year contract with the Sydney Bulldogs to follow up a more lucrative offer from Tana Umaga's French Top 14 club Toulon in July this year.
The incident sparked a huge amount of controversy in both League and Union circles, with the Bulldogs even initiating legal proceedings against Toulon and Williams.
The 22-year-old has subsequently earned himself top honours in a notorious annual poll in Zoo Weekly, voted No.1 in the magazine's "Top 50 People We Hate List" released in Australia on Monday.
Zoo editor Paul Merrill said the New Zealander had been a decisive champion.
"Sonny Bill is someone who did something no Australian should do, he ditched his teammates and walked out," Merrill told the AAP.
"We're calling him Money Bill Williams for scampering off to another continent just for the cash."
Other sportsmen/women who featured in the Top 50 were golfer Greg Norman (13th), English cricketer Marcus Trescothick (22nd) and Olympic athlete Tamsyn Lewis (41st).
Zoo Weekly's Top 10 "most hated" people:
1. Sonny Bill Williams - Bulldogs deserter
2. Amrozi - Bali bomber dubbed the 'smiling assassin'
3. Belinda Neal - Tantrum-throwing, night-clubbing federal Labor MP
4. Wayne Carey - Misbehaving former AFL player
5. Nick D'Arcy - Dumped from Olympic swim team over assault claim
6. South Australia Attorney - General Michael Atkinson
7. Pope Benedict
8. Indy 500 General Manager, Greg Hooten - banned booze and boobs.
9&10. John Earnest and Anne Deaves
- father and daughter who became dad and mom.
