WHILE Andrew Farrell sifts the small print of his proposed move to rugby union, speculation is rife that Wigan Warriors are behind a reported £900,000 offer over three years for Sonny Bill Williams, the New Zealand teenager who has taken the Australian game by storm during the past year, as a ready-made replacement for the 29-year-old Wigan and Great Britain captain.

In the light of what Williams’s agent described as an offer by an unspecified English club that “blew us away”, Canterbury Bulldogs, the NRL champions, increased the size of their proposed deal to retain the 19-year-old, who is out of contract at the end of the forthcoming Australian season. Chris Orr, from Pacific Sports Management, would not confirm or deny Wigan’s name on the offer, other than to say that more than one Super League club had registered interest in the world’s outstanding back-row forward.

The £300,000 a year that Williams reportedly would receive from Wigan would make him comfortably the highest-paid player in the British game, putting him on a third more than Farrell. The club yesterday dampened speculation and denied suggestions by rivals that the deal is already done. “I wasn’t aware that others were at the Wigan board meeting that is supposed to have approved any such move,” Maurice Lindsay, the Warriors chairman, said.

Wigan’s immediate priority is the future of Farrell, who is anxious to tie up the loose ends of his offer by the Rugby Football Union, specifically the identity of the Zurich Premiership club that would jointly fund his £200,000-a-year contract up to the 2007 World Cup, before he finally commits himself. Wigan will not stand in the way of a player who has given 14 years’ outstanding service, with the money they will save, along with cancellation last week of Luke Davico’s contract after the prop’s long-term injury, potentially going to pay Williams.

Denis Betts, the Warriors coach, said that Wigan were interested, although he was coy about the chances of signing a player who is also being touted around rugby union and American football but is coming under enormous pressure to stick with Canterbury and the higher-profile NRL competition. “If a player of that quality becomes available, then you would have to say ‘Please consider us’,” Betts said.

Wigan failed to lure Mark Gasnier, the Australia centre, with an offer of more £200,000 a year from St George-Illawarra Dragons last year. Canterbury, despite a salary cap £500,000 less than the £1.8 million limit per club in Britain, are doing everything within their power to keep a player, unknown a year ago, whose mercurial ball-playing skills quickly singled him out as one of uncommon ability. Despite Leeds Rhinos’ recent World Club Challenge victory over the Bulldogs, Williams was the outstanding presence.

With other Australian clubs forbidden from approaching Williams until the end of June, Canterbury will again meet his representatives this week to try to conclude an early deal. Williams’s preference is to stay in Australia, where he can best exploit burgeoning commercial interest in his name, good lucks and talent, but Orr is ruling nothing out.

“It’s about Sonny Bill getting a package that reflects his status,” Orr said. “There are offers from England and there are going to be other NRL clubs that will be very interested. He wants to make sure he is able to look after himself and his family back home, but at the same time the Bulldogs are very important to him.”