He’ll need a thick skin at Warrington then and best be good at ducking in case a season ticket hits him.

If he doesn't perform they'll be burning shirts with his name on the back like they did with Matt King.

maybe he'll get homesick....

Left out of the England squad.

George Williams has been urged to find a new club quickly after being left out of England's squad to face the Combined Nations All Stars.

The half-back had been named in Shaun Wane's initial 24-man party, but is not fit to take part in Friday's match at Warrington's Halliwell Jones Stadium.

Williams, 26, has not played since 22 May after being released by Canberra Raiders on compassionate grounds and Leeds captain Luke Gale and St Helens stand-off Jonny Lomax come in as half-backs.

Warrington full-back Stefan Ratchford is another half-back option for Wane as Williams, linked with the Wolves himself, was given a message by the England coach.

Wane told BBC Radio 5 Live's Rugby League Podcast that "it is very important George Williams gets fixed up with a club and gets some games under his belt".

Wire centre Toby King misses out after picking up a knee injury in their win over St Helens while Salford Red Devils full-back Dan Sarginson is ruled out after being given a three-match ban following his side's narrow success at Huddersfield Giants.

The Giants' Jermaine McGillvary and Jake Wardle have also been cut from the final 19-man squad.

Six uncapped players are named in the line-up, with wingers Tom Davies and Ash Handley, loose forward Morgan Knowles, prop Mikolaj Oledzki, back rower Joe Philbin and reigning Super League Man of Steel Paul McShane set for their England debuts.

England (from): John Bateman (Wigan Warriors); Daryl Clark, Mike Cooper, Ben Currie (all Warrington Wolves); Tom Davies (Catalans Dragons); Liam Farrell (Wigan Warriors); Luke Gale, Ash Handley (both Leeds Rhinos); Morgan Knowles (St Helens); Reece Lyne (Wakefield Trinity); Jonny Lomax (St Helens); Paul McShane (Castleford Tigers); Tommy Makinson (St Helens); Mikolaj Oledzki (Leeds Rhinos); Joe Philbin, Stefan Ratchford (both Warrington Wolves); Sam Tomkins (Catalans Dragons); Alex Walmsley (St Helens); Joe Westerman (Wakefield Trinity).

Pat Richards?

He wasn't a hidden gem. He came to Wigan after a very good season with the Tigers. Was instrumental in that team winning the premiership.

True although I never expected for him to have the impact that he did at Wigan, especially during the 2006 season.

Giving him the kicking duties seemed to change everything, wasn’t he also played at centre initially too? I think most players would have struggled in Millwards Wigan team.

Let’s hope we find some hidden gems in the prop forward department soon.

Yeah fantastic player.

Still think his the best player I've seen kicking the ball from his own in goal area as well as from centre field.

He could win you the ball back with those kicks.

Williams has stated he has hasnt signed anywhere yet but wants a new challenge rather than coming back to Wigan....

Tbh sick of hearing about Williams now

I considered that. I’d hope he’d have the sense to realise virtually any professional sports person will be subject to that irrespective of which club they play for.

People in the know claiming contract with Warrington has been signed for weeks.

Sign for Leigh or Salford then big nose !!!

I suspect being economical with the truth, he hadn’t signed for anyone...for this season.

He can only say he has signed for some one when he has been registered with the RFL if Warrington cant offload any players then as Rubber Duckie says it could be next season when he plays.

I thought Williams stated he wanted to play in the World Cup this year, so surely he would have to play for a club this season, SW already left him out of the friendly due to not playing for a while, so doubt he would be picked having not played any games for the rest of this year.

Correct if Warrington cant offload a player then he will have to sign for another club just for this season. On another note was it Warrington persuading him to come home homesick and signing for them next year but Canberra released him early and put the can among the pigeons.

I haven’t read the 65 pages on the Williams saga but has anyone mentioned the role his agent may have played in the the “messy”exit from Canberra and the situation that George/Warrington now find themselves in ?

Absolutely, It’s not often that Wigan rule themselves out of a signing, I can’t remember when that last happened?

I doubt GW or his agent expected it.

Thank god it's over



Lock the thread!

This is a genuine question.

I’m assuming that Wire have used the cap space from GI to sign him immediately. I thought if you released and paid off a player like that their salary cap value was still counted? I don’t understand how they could fit him in for this year.

I know the cap is live so I’m not implying foul play just hoping someone knows how it works.

Funnily enough that's how I thought the cap works..

We have sent 3 players out on season long loan aswell from today,Stuart Middleton says it’s been complex but the job is done now, you guys. Seem more ok about this than the thumb suckers over on Redvee who are in outrage and we clearly are cheating.

Looking back now, when talk of Williams coming home first surfaced, I said how awful it would be if he ended up playing for Leeds or Wire. But at that time, I never really doubted that he wouldn't come back to Wigan. I suspect I wasn't alone in having those sentiments. Since those days, though, things here have deteriorated further. Whether that was a factor, we'll never know for sure.

Personally speaking if we could've got Williams to replace Hastings next year along with the front row reinforcements we desperately need that would've been great but the pack and probably a centre have to be our priority.
It has to be said though our track record of re-signing players from the NRL as been pretty awful, even Bateman has looked a shadow of the player who left us so far this season.
It will be interesting to see where you play him, you'd have to imagine a highly paid nose is going to be pushed out of joint if all of Widdop Austin Ratchford and Williams are fit to play.

Austen will be left out as he’s leaving at the end of the season.