Sonny Bill Williams off to French rugby

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League sensation Sonny Bill Williams has quit the 13-man code and is set to take up a contract with French Rugby.

Williams boarded a French-bound plane from Sydney on Saturday, to take up a lucrative contract with the Tana Umaga-coached Toulon.

It is understood that Williams has signed a two-year contract, worth a staggering $3 million.

Furious Bulldog officials were not told of Williams' shock exit by the player.

Instead when news started filtering out of the player's exit in Sydney on Saturday afternoon, club management contacted his manager Khoder Nasser who confirmed the departure.

Bulldogs management are now considering the possibility of taking out an injunction. Another possibility is to sue Toulon for the the value of Williams' contract.

Bulldogs CEO Todd Greenberg told ABC radio that Williams' Nasser had confirmed the shock exit.

"I've just got off the phone to Sonny's manager Khoder Nasser and he has confirmed to me that Sonny has left the country," Greenberg said.

"Quite simply, if Sonny intends to play overseas, we'll be looking to take out an injunction which will effectively stop him playing in France, England or anywhere else he intends to do it.

"We are going to have to review all our options to make sure that the Bulldogs are well covered."

Williams had been in just the second year of a five-season contract with the Bulldogs, understood to be worth at least $400,000-a-year.

His reported exit follows months of uncertainty over his future and eventually a pledge from the Kiwis second rower that he was committed to seeing out his deal.

Toulon will link up with Umaga and fellow All Black first-five Andrew Merhtens and flanker Jerry Collins.

Williams' reported signing with Toulon follows the club's recent failure to secure All Black star Daniel Carter on a short-term deal.

Just two months ago Williams' manager told Yahoo!Xtra that he was deadly serious about quitting his lucrative Bulldogs contract.

At that stage he hadn't ruled out a switch to the NZRU, something which was always unlikely considering the value Williams put on himself.

"He has made a statement and if an (NZRU) offer was to come, he would definitely consider it," Nasser said at the time.

"He was basically saying he has achieved what is there to be achieved in league.

"These things are all going to come to a head soon. We will have to work out what will happen, we are going to have to meet up with the club (the Bulldogs) in the next two to three weeks."

Former Australia coach Eddie Jones said Williams could earn up to $800,000 a year if he headed to Europe.

The Bulldogs warned that they would consider legal action if Williams attempted to break his contract with the club.

But it appeared Williams had decided to see out his contract following a heart-to-heart with Bulldogs CEO Todd Greenbert and chairman George Peponis.

Greenberg said: "Part of our ongoing commitment to him is to make sure we equip him with the skills to make it as easy as possible to be a high profile footballer in this day and age which is not easy.

"A lot has been said in recent times about Sonny, (but) Sonny Bill is a very intelligent and very articulate young man. He sees he has a limited time playing football and needs to maximise it. Our job is to assist him to do that."

Williams had added: "I now have a better understanding of the direction the club is heading and there's no question it's something I want to be a part of.

"There are exciting times ahead starting with our game against the Raiders."