Joe Williams (rugby league)

Joe Williams
Personal information
Full name Joe Williams
Born (1983-09-04) 4 September 1983
Cowra, New South Wales, Australia
Playing information
Height 175 cm (5 ft 9 in)
Weight 80 kg (12 st 8 lb)
Position Halfback, Five-eighth

Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
2004–07 South Sydney 46 7 126 4 284
2008 Penrith Panthers 1 0 2 0 4
2008 Canterbury Bulldogs 2 0 0 0 0
Total 49 7 128 4 288
Source: [1][2]

Joe Williams (born 4 September 1983 in Cowra, New South Wales[3]) is an Australian sportsman who has both played rugby league and boxed professionally. His football career spanned from 2004 to 2008 and included appearances with the Bulldogs, Penrith Panthers and South Sydney Rabbitohs in the National Rugby League competition. He primarily played at halfback.[4]

Playing career

A Cowra Magpies junior who moved to South Sydney Rabbitohs lower grades. While attending Marcellin College in 2001, Williams was selected to play for the Australian Schoolboys team.[5]

During the 2007 season, Williams played in the first semi-final Souths had reached since 1989. They were defeated by Manly, 30 to 6.[6] As he had played 9 games for Feeder club North Sydney Bears in the NSW Cup, he was eligible to play in the rest of the finals series. They made it through to the Grand Final, only to be narrowly defeated by Parramatta 20-15, after a late try was awarded after a dubious decision.

In September 2007, Williams signed a one-year contract to play with the Penrith Panthers for the 2008 season after initially agreeing to a contract with French side, Toulouse Olympique.[7]

He was released from his Penrith Panthers contract on 14 May 2008 and joined the Bulldogs.[8][9] After only two games with the Bulldogs, Williams retired from the game and turned to boxing. He was last known to be playing with Country Rugby League side Dubbo CYMS.

Career stats

North Sydney Bears 2007-2010 19 appearances 7 tries, 54 goals, 3 field goals, 133 points.[10]

Boxing career

On 18 October 2014 he successfully defended his World Boxing Federation (WBF) junior welterweight world title against Indonesian opponent Rusmin Kie Raha at Bolton Park Stadium. He also obtained a World Boxing Association (WBA) Asian title with a unanimous points victory.[11]

Personal life

Joe Williams is the son of Wilfred Williams, who played for a number of Sydney teams in the late 1980s.[12]

He has spoken about his battles with depression, especially during his time in Rugby League. In October a short story called The Enemy Within was released.[13] He currently works as a motivational speaker.[14]

In October 2016 Williams visited the Standing Rock Indian Reservation during the Dakota Access Pipeline protests, carrying an Australian Aboriginal Flag to demonstrate solidarity between Aboriginal Australians and Native Americans.[15]

Music

Williams appears on the Brothablack music video, Are You With Me Out There, along with Anthony (Mouth) Mundine.

Williams has sung the Australian National Anthem at various Australian touch carnivals.

Footnotes

  1. ↑ "Joe Williams - Career Stats & Summary - Rugby League Project". www.rugbyleagueproject.org. Retrieved 14 March 2018.
  2. ↑ NRL Stats
  3. ↑ "Characters". South Sydney Story. Retrieved 2008-05-03.
  4. ↑ Paul Kent (17 November 2008). "Ex-Bunny Joe Williams a real knockout in boxing debut". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 2 February 2009.
  5. ↑ "Australian Secondary Schools Rugby League". Sporting Pulse. Retrieved 2008-10-10.
  6. ↑ 2007 NRL season results#Week One
  7. ↑ "Williams joins Penrith" (fee required). AAP Sports News. 2007-09-06. Retrieved 2008-01-02.
  8. ↑ "Williams released". Penrith Panthers. 2008-05-14. Retrieved 2008-05-14.
  9. ↑ "WILLIAMS JOINS BULLDOGS FOLLOWING PANTHERS RELEASE". RLeague.com. 2008-05-14. Retrieved 2008-05-14.
  10. ↑ "South Sydney Rabbitohs North Sydney Bears Affiliated Players". www.ssralmanac.com. Retrieved 14 March 2018.
  11. ↑ Malone, Matt (19 October 2014). "Wagga's Joe Williams on top of the world". dailyadvertiser.com.au. Retrieved 14 March 2018.
  12. ↑ Ferguson, Shawn Dollin and Andrew. "Wilfred Williams - Career Stats & Summary - Rugby League Project". www.rugbyleagueproject.org. Retrieved 14 March 2018.
  13. ↑ Media, Mayfly (15 September 2014). "The Enemy Within". Retrieved 14 March 2018 – via Vimeo.
  14. ↑ http://www.joewilliamsboxing.com.au/speaking/
  15. ↑ "Joe Williams takes the Aboriginal flag to Standing Rock". NITV. 2016-11-14. Retrieved 2017-05-02.
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