Sonny must clear air over switch: Patten

Bulldogs fullback Luke Patten has called for Sonny Bill Williams to clear the air over reports he wants out of the NRL club to switch to rugby union.

Patten said it was "definitely surprising" to hear Williams may want to leave despite being just six months into a five-year deal and believes the 22-year-old Kiwi international should publicly state his intentions to end the uncertainty at the club.

"Yeah I guess so then it would be good to see what he does think," said Patten when asked if Williams should state his intentions.

"But having said that I don't know enough about it to go into it and I'm sure in the next however long it will all get sorted out.

"He is one year into a five year deal and obviously a big part of the club and someone the club can really build around in the years to come."

Dogs chief executive Todd Greenberg said he had no plans to confront Williams and fully expects he will see out his contract until the end of 2012.

"He is going to honour that contract with us and that is our firm stand and commitment at the moment," said Greenberg.

But Greenberg can understand if there are other clubs from both union and league keen to poach the Kiwi Test forward.

"Who wouldn't be interested in Sonny Bill Williams?" he said.

"The All Blacks, the French, everyone would be interested in him because he is a quality player and that is why we signed him."