A financial settlement is set to be agreed between Toulon's New Zealand back row Sonny Bill Williams and his former rugby league club Canterbury of Australia, Toulon president Mourad Boudjellal said Thursday.

Williams' controversial move from Canterbury to join up with coach and compatriot Tana Umaga brought about an Australian court ruling which said he was in breach of contract with Canterbury and could not legally join Toulon.

"A financial settlement is going to be found at the beginning of next week," Boudjellal said on Thursday while at the Toulon versus Toulouse match at the Mayol stadium.

Williams, who joined Toulon on August 4 on a one-season contract with an option for a further year, did not play in Toulouse's 19-12 victory so as not to "inflame the situation," Boudjellal added.

The Toulon president was referring to a New South Wales Supreme Court ruling which forbade Williams to play for his club.

The Australian Rugby League (NRL) and the Canterbury Bulldogs took legal action bringing about the court's decision that he had unilaterally broken his contract which was due to run till 2012.

Williams, whose dream is to play for the All Blacks rugby union team, caused media frenzy in Australia when he left his club for France.

AFP

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