Yet, for once, he's not hogging the headlines.
When the Chiefs and Crusaders square off in Friday's Super Rugby semi-final it should answer a host of pure rugby questions.
Can the resurgent Chiefs discover their early season grit up front and be rewarded with a trip to just their second final?
Or can the seven-time champion Crusaders prevail once more - thrusting the likes of Dan Carter and Richie McCaw on to the next big gig in their glittering careers?
The stakes are high and there's an Olympic Games bubbling to the boil so perhaps that explains why Williams has escaped comment this week, even though it's quite possibly his last game of rugby in New Zealand.
Or perhaps the subject matter has been talked to saturation point.
If the Chiefs lose, the curtain is poised to lower on a nonconforming two-year phenomenon which has stretched well beyond the traditional boundaries of New Zealand rugby.
The media will wonder what to do next. Internet news sites have dubbed "SBW" a human page impression such are the readership figures every time those initials go online.
Williams' recent announcement of his departure to a mega-money rugby deal in Japan followed by a stint in the NRL lifted a scab on the debate that has followed the 26-year-old since he returned to his homeland in August 2010.
Regardless of his considerable on-field impact with the Crusaders and Chiefs and his rise to a world class standard over the course of 17 All Black tests, Williams has struggled.
The battle? To win over those who believe he plays sport first and foremost for money.
Critics say he won't leave rugby with anything like the legacy of a Carter or McCaw. That he's a show pony with no respect for any of the sports at which he excels - rugby, league and boxing.
His supporters say loyalty is an outdated concept in professional sport. That there's nothing wrong with gifted athletes showcasing their skill to a multitude of audiences.
There can be little doubt the flash haircuts, physics-defying offloads, women's magazine tittle-tattle, stage-managed announcements and ripped jerseys will be missed by many.
