At a gala dinner celebrating the club's 80th anniversary, Williams was selected as a back-rower in the team of the decade. The recognition, coupled with the invite "SBW" received to attend the function at Le Montage on Saturday night, is evidence the "Family Club" has forgiven the code-hopper for walking out in 2008, not long after inking a five-year deal.

The question on everyone's lips at the function was whether Williams qualified for the honour. While the code-hopper played the requisite 50 NRL games for Canterbury, the criteria demanded candidates for the 2005-2014 team of the decade embody "the spirit and values of the Bulldogs". There was rigorous debate between members of an esteemed panel, including Canterbury's former premiership-winning coach and Fairfax Media columnist Phil Gould, historian and journalist Ian Heads, former long-serving player and president Barry Nelson, statistician David Middleton and author Gary Lester.

Perhaps Gould gave a hint when asked, via Twitter, during the week: "Is there any player from the past u would have liked 2 have coached during your coaching career? Eg Wally Lewis, Clive Churchill."

The reply from Gould, the most successful NSW coach in State of Origin history, was brief.

"SBW"

Williams joined Andrew Ryan as the starting back-rower, while another polarising figure, Willie Mason, earned a bench spot. Mason was forgiven for his own misdemeanours, which included perhaps one of the most scathing columns ever penned.

"He is a poor coach," Mason wrote in his Sun-Herald column of then-coach Steve Folkes following his acrimonious departure. "I never learnt anything from him in 10 years … No one wants to be coached by him because he's the most unapproachable, boring man I've ever met."

Williams, who could not attend the event, recorded a message that was played on the night.

"Firstly, I'd just like to say sorry I couldn't be there tonight due to All Black commitments. I've had to shoot back home to New Zealand.

"Secondly, what a privilege, what an honour to be recognised and be a part of this great team. Some great players in here. I'd like to think that every time I put that blue and white jersey on I played with a lot of pride and a lot of heart and its great to be recognised.

"I guess outside of the field things probably didn't finish the way I would've liked it to have. I've stated it before and I'll say it again, anyone that I've hurt along the way I'm very sorry. I guess I was young and very brazen and now I'm a lot more mature and settled and happy in my life and I guess I'd just like to say to everyone at Canterbury I wish you nothing but success the Canterbury club."

However, there was one controversial figure, a Dally M medallist no less, who didn't make the cut. Ben Barba almost single-handedly carried Canterbury to the 2012 grand final as he notched a season-high 22 tries. However, he was overlooked for the No.1 jersey in favour of "The General", crowd favourite Luke Patten.

The emergence of Moses Mbye has resulted in Josh Reynolds and Trent Hodkinson being week-to-week propositions when it comes to Des Hasler's starting halves, but the 2014 NSW Origin pairing got the nod as the halfback and five-eighth.

While the team of the decade sparked most debate, the highlight of the evening was the induction of the first Hall of Fame members. For Canterbury, this was their version of the Immortals and the honour was bestowed on the five greatest men to pull on the blue and white jersey.

Terry Lamb, Steve Mortimer, Dr George Peponis, Les Johns and Eddie Burns were named and feted in front of more than 800 guests.

For Mortimer, it capped a stellar month in which he was also named as one of the Magnificent 7 halfbacks of the television era at a Men of League fundraiser. Significantly, the great Parramatta halfback, Peter Sterling, considered Mortimer and Lamb the best halves pairing he ever faced.

"You go back to the '80s, the two clubs really dominated the bulk of [the decade] with the amount of premierships they won and contested," Sterling said last month.

"Invariably Steve Mortimer and Terry Lamb were right in the middle of that. They complemented each other beautifully, are great blokes, wonderful competitors and always tough to beat.

"You got extra satisfaction doing well against them because you knew you were up against the best."

Peponis, a former Australian captain, continues to serve the game as the chairman of the Bulldogs and the NSWRL. Burns was a representative prop who played in Canterbury's inaugural season, while Johns was considered one of the preeminent fullbacks of the 1960s and '70s.

The full Team of the Decade, in positional order from one to 17, is: Luke Patten, Hazem El Masri, Josh Morris, Willie Tonga, Matt Utai, Josh Reynolds, Trent Hodkinson, Greg Eastwood, Sonny Bill Williams, Andrew Ryan, Roy Asotasi, Michael Ennis, James Graham. Bench: Aiden Tolman, Mark O'Meley, Willie Mason, Frank Pritchard.