His absence from the Kiwis' World Cup squad when it was announced yesterday was no surprise - just as it will be no surprise when he announces that he intends to give up the glitz of Sydney for the more homely delights of Hamilton for the next couple of years. For him the shift away from the bright lights will lift his profile even further.
Williams' footballing masterplan appears to be playing out just as he would like, even if his boxing is suffering slightly as a result.
His NRL grand final winners' medal can sit alongside the one he earned with the Canterbury Bulldogs in his first season of first grade in 2004. In the vicinity is likely to be the Super Rugby winner's medal he earned with the Chiefs last year, and near by, maybe, something to remember his involvement in the All Blacks' World Cup victory of 2011.
For the 28-year-old, rugby union is the vehicle which will now take him forward. The league World Cup doesn't rate for a worldwide audience. Only three nations have won it since it began in 1954, with Great Britain last breaking the stranglehold by Australia and New Zealand in 1972.
The NRL is big in Australia - particularly Sydney - and to a lesser extent New Zealand, but doesn't rate anywhere else.
Union, however, takes him places, including South Africa where Williams has a fast-growing and loyal fan base - especially in Cape Town. There, his star was on the rise back in 2011, his first year of Super Rugby when he played for the Crusaders.
There is fantastic footage of him on YouTube arriving with the team at Newlands for a match against the Stormers. On it, the crowd is chanting only one name.
Union provides him a truly global stage - the 2015 World Cup in England will be the biggest yet and the Rio Olympics offers an even bigger platform a year later.
It also dovetails nicely with his boxing. Playing in the midfield for the Chiefs isn't as physically taxing for him as playing second row in the NRL. The season isn't as long and there are more opportunities to get in the ring.
It's a win-win situation, something Williams has become incredibly adept at contriving.
