The playing future of Sonny Bill Williams remains up in the air after the Toronto Wolfpack's application to re-enter the Super League for season 2021 wasn't approved.
Williams had signed a $10 million, two-year contract with Toronto before the Canadian side was forced withdraw from the UK-based rugby league competition amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The 35-year-old would end up playing just five games for the Wolfpack.
The club had hoped to re-join the competition next year where Williams likely would have continued his rugby league career after a short stint with the Roosters at the back of the 2020 NRL season.
Super League chief executive Robert Elstone confirmed the news of the team's unsuccessful application on Tuesday.
"The board accepts that the decision to reject Toronto Wolfpack's application will divide the game's fans – but on the evidence presented to us, it would not be right for the development of the competition for Super League to accommodate a team in Canada in 2021," Elstone said.
"Every opportunity has been given to Toronto Wolfpack to provide the assurances our clubs need.
"However, our review of the club's recent submission identified a number of areas of concern, particularly regarding the aggressive revenue targets on which the financial forecasts are based.
"As part of our comprehensive investigation into this whole subject, Super League appointed an independent committee of sports industry experts, with representation from The RFL, to examine commercial opportunities for rugby league in Canada
"Its findings were unanimous - that operating a team in a fiercely competitive North American sports market was non-strategic and added no material incremental revenue to Super League in the short or medium term.
"Separately, it was also apparent that no assessment of the scale and accessibility of the commercial growth that might accrue to the sport from entering the Canadian market was ever completed prior to the club's first entry into the sport."
When pressed on his future after the Roosters were knocked out of the 2020 finals series last month, Williams admitted his career was up in the air and was dependant on how the situation with Toronto would play out at the time.
"I'm not too sure at this stage, I've got to talk to the wife," Williams told Nine.
"These old joints are a little bit tough to get out of the starting blocks each week.
"We will see what happens with Toronto and if that falls through, then who knows, I might be standing here next year holding that microphone."
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