LAWYERS acting for the Bulldogs and NRL told the NSW Supreme Court they knew Sonny Bill Williams was in Toulon because of the exclusive photograph of him on the front page of yesterday's The Sydney Morning Herald.

They also suggested Williams should have received their text message seeking an address they could use to serve a subpoena upon him. On Monday the Herald published an SMS from Steve Folkes to the Kiwis superstar after his departure to France 11 days ago, and the Bulldogs coach indicated in the story that he hadn't been the one who passed it on.

Aside from that, the legal eagles weren't too sure about Williams's movements or plans.

"In my discussions with two members of the Australian media in London who were reporting on the story concerning Mr Williams, I asked them to keep me informed as to any information that they had concerning the whereabouts of Mr Williams in London," NRL lawyer Tony O'Reilly stated in an affidavit submitted to the court yesterday.

"Both representatives subsequently advised me that despite the extensive inquiries that they had made, they had received no information that established the whereabouts of Mr Williams in London once he left Heathrow Airport."

Submitted as evidence was another Herald article stating Williams "shifted to three residences in London over two nights waiting for his French visa".

O'Reilly also revealed that after a tip-off from a member of the Australian media in London he had directed a solicitor to the French embassy, where she spent three hours last Monday and "the entire time it was opened on Tuesday and Wednesday", but had not seen Williams.

The Herald reported last Thursday that Williams had received his visa during a covert meeting with embassy representatives at a nearby location and O'Reilly said he was contacted that day by a member of the Australian media in London who had the story confirmed by a consulate official.

Asked by Justice Robert Austin about concerns Williams would not be represented at the next court hearing set down for Friday, the lawyers again referred to a Herald article last week that reported a legal team had been briefed before his departure to challenge the NRL's salary cap.