SONNY BILL WILLIAMS has called for the NRL to relax its rules on players earning money from sponsorship deals and predicted other stars would consider leaving unless something was done.

Speaking for the first time since details of his unrest at the Bulldogs emerged last weekend, Williams last night said: "There are issues, it's nothing to do with the players. It's not all about money, but money is an issue".

In an exclusive interview with Channel Nine commentator and Herald columnist Phil Gould on The Footy Show, Williams defended himself against allegations he was a hypocrite after criticising Willie Mason for quitting the Bulldogs and now considering doing the same thing.

But the 22-year-old Kiwi also said there was no firm offer on the table from rugby union and admitted he didn't think any player was worth the type of money he had been touted as being able to command in Europe.

Asked about a possible switch of codes, Williams said: "I'm a sportsman and I definitely see it as a challenge, the whole rugby union thing. It's also about opportunity and I see rugby as an opportunity. If I did decide to do that, there would be a lot of goals I could try to achieve.

"I've achieved a lot in rugby league but this is all just talk at the moment, there has been no formal offer or anything but what I have said is that if rugby did come knocking on the door with a serious offer, I would definitely consider it.

"I definitely don't think I'm bigger than the game but I think I have a right to do what's best for me and my family. Say a guy earning $80,000 a year is offered $200,000 a year, what's he going to do? Is he going to weigh up the situation? It's just the same for me.

"I'm just a normal bloke and if people come and want me, I don't think I'm worth that but if they say, 'look we think you're worth this amount,' of course I'm going to think about it. I'm not a dummy."

While he has another four years to run on the $400,000-a-year deal he signed with the Bulldogs last season, Williams confirmed he had issues with the club but dispelled rumours he was unhappy with the appointment of assistant Kevin Moore to take over from head coach Steve Folkes next year.

"I dispel that," he said. "[But] I'm not going to lie to you, there's a few issues that I need to sort out at the club. I don't want to delve too far into it because that would be disrespectful to the players."

He also said it hurt to have people call him a hypocrite.

"I hate that word and I guess it's one thing above all I don't want to be called," he said. "I'd like to think I'm a pretty honest person. What I said about Mase was that if someone you respect tells you to do something and then turns around and does the exact opposite then of course you are going to lose respect for them."

Asked whether it was too late to stop him leaving or if anything could be done to keep him at the Bulldogs, Williams raised the restrictions placed on the NRL that restrict players earning money from off-field sponsorship deals.

"I guess in most other professional sports, the players have had a pay increase over the last couple of years so I guess something has to be done," he said. "I'm all for a salary cap because it evens out the competition but … if a sponsor wants to pay me something to play league it gets poured back into the salary cap and affects other players so I can't do that.

"I guess maybe some rules like that need to be changed, I don't know, but if we don't see that happening then more players are going to leave."

Meanwhile, Manly have won the race for highly-regarded Newcastle utility Chris Bailey - however they have refused to concede the move ends Jamie Lyon's time at five-eighth.

Bailey, whose brother Phil played for the Northern Eagles, has agreed to join the Sea Eagles on a three-year deal worth about $500,000, despite interest from several other clubs, including Wigan, who yesterday secured the services of Bulldogs back Cameron Phelps.

The Bulldogs, who will release Phelps after Monday night's match against Cronulla, signed Wests Tigers winger Nick Youngquest for the remainder of this year.