Sonny Bill Williams to play for the Roosters in 2014 and has rejected a return to rugby union SYDNEY Roosters have won the battle for the services of code-hopping superstar Sonny Bill Williams in 2014. News broke when the official All Blacks twitter account tweeted that he had rejected the offer to return to play for the Chiefs in the 2014 Super Rugby competition. The Sydney Roosters shortly after sent out a statement that Williams had agreed to remain with the premiers for next season. Sources close to the Williams camp said it still remained his dream to return to rugby union and play in the 2015 World Cup. Our back-page exclusive on July 3 revealing Sonny Bill Williams intended to stay with the Sydney Roosters for 2014. "On the eve of his departure for the Rugby League World Cup, the Sydney Roosters are pleased to announce that Sonny Bill Williams has pledged his commitment to the Roosters for season 2014," the statement said. The Club anticipates that Williams will officially sign in mid-February 2014 for the remainder of the season on the same terms and conditions as his 2013 contract. A statement from the New Zealand Rugby Union said it was still keen to pursue Williams in the future. Williams this week was awarded the Jack Gibson medal as the Roosters' Best and Fairest player following a stellar season on his return to the 13-man code. After a clumsy first half he played a starring second-half role in the Roosters' come from behind 26-18 grand final victory over the Manly Sea Eagles on Sunday. Williams' future has been the hottest talking point in both codes since then, with many believing the former All Blacks' return to the 15-man code was a fait accompli. That speculation was heightened on Thursday when Williams and his manager Khoder Nasser were filmed having a secret meeting with high level representatives of the NZRU annd Super Rugby franchise the Waikato Chiefs. But the story was turned on its head on Friday, with a stunning tweet from the NZRU's official account: "@SonnyBWilliams NOT coming back to play rugby for @ChiefsRugby and #AllBlacks in 2014. It is likely he will be playing for the Roosters," the tweet said. NZ Rugby General Manager Professional Rugby Neil Sorensen said while disappointed not to have secured Williams for 2014, it was no secret the 28-year-old Auckland-born player had options for his playing career next year. "We obviously worked pretty hard to bring Sonny home, and we have had some really good conversations with him," Sorensen said in a statement. "This is disappointing but we know we put our best foot forward, and in the end Sonny has made his decision," Sorensen said. Chiefs Head Coach Dave Rennie said: "While we are disappointed that Sonny won't be with us in 2014 now, we'll be keen to keep talking to him about future options." Earlier in the year, Roosters captain Anthony Minichiello warned the superstar that even if he won a premiership in his first season, he could not be counted alongside the club's greatest forwards Arthur Beetson and Ron Coote if he did not stick around to build some sort of legacy. "You can't just play a year and get mentioned with those legends,'" said Minichiello, the Roosters' top try-scorer. If he plays long enough and keeps playing for the Roosters, then there's no doubt he'll get mentioned in that category. Sonny Bill Williams makes a break during the Sydney Roosters versus Manly Sea Eagles NRL grand final at ANZ Stadium on Sunday. His skill set is up there with any forward I've ever played with. Williams appeared both elated and humbled by this season's achievements on Wednesday night, as he accepted the Jack Gibson Medal. "Massive honour," he said of the player-voted medal, named for rugby league's most iconic coach. For me, it's not about the accolades, it's just about earning the respect of your peers. To get this award, players" player for the year, it's really special for me." Sonny Bill Williams rubs shoulders with fans celebrating the Roosters' 2013 NRL grand final win. Of the grand final win, which added to his 2004 victory with the Bulldogs, Williams said: "It still hasn't sunk in, it's a bit surreal. I think just because I know how hard it is to win a premiership. The NRL is a very tough competition and I'm just happy. Happy for the group of men that we have here, happy for our coaches. The second rower played 24 of 26 games in the regular season. He missed two weeks of action after being suspended for a high shot on Willie Mason in round 20. He played in 27 of the Roosters' 29 games, scoring eight tries and averaging 109 metres per game.