FLASHBACK FRIDAY: WILLIAMS EARNS KIWIS CALL-UP AFTER NORTH SYDNEY OVAL HAT-TRICK
Flashback Friday revisits elusive Christchurch-born winger Jason Williams’ big break in Australian premiership football that led to a maiden national call-up in 1991.
Williams played 13 Tests for the Kiwis and played for five Sydney-based clubs – but his 145-game first-grade career is predominantly associated with a four-season stay with Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs that garnered two grand final appearances and a winner’s medal.
It’s often forgotten that Williams’ debut in the black-and-white jersey came during a one-year stint with South Sydney.
After heading to Sydney at the age of 15, he made his top-grade debut for Western Suburbs Magpies as a 19-year-old in 1987 then spent the following season with Eastern Suburbs Roosters.
Williams returned home in 1989 and played for Sydenham, making his debut for the Canterbury provincial side against Wellington. But after spending the next year with Sydney Metropolitan Cup side Guildford, the livewire linked with the Rabbitohs in ’91 and went on a stunning tryscoring streak.
The 25-year-old scored in six consecutive matches for the Frank Curry-coached also-rans, including three tries in Souths’ stunning upset of two-time defending champs Canberra.
Another sizzling hat-trick at North Sydney Oval three weeks elevated Williams squarely into the Kiwi Test frame – with the third of those tries in a 16-14 loss to the high-flying Bears especially memorable.
Taking an offload near the touchline on halfway, the lightning Williams fended away from one Norths player, produced an in-and-away to get around halfback Jason Martin and sensationally swerved around fullback Paul Conlon to dot down (WATCH BELOW).
Williams was duly named on the flank in New Zealand’s line-up for the series opener against Australia 10 days later – one of the great international boilovers as a second-half avalanche propelled the Kiwis to a 24-8 victory at Olympic Park in Melbourne.
After featuring in the remaining two Tests of that series, Williams was snapped up by the Bulldogs. He scored a memorable 80-metre intercept try in their heavy loss to the Raiders in the 1994 grand final before playing in the club’s remarkable defeat of Manly in the ’95 decider.
Williams played his last match for New Zealand at the 1995 World Cup and finished off an admirable premiership career, in which he scored 63 tries, with a three-season stay at Penrith from 1996-98.
