George Williams - homesick?

[Man of Kent]

6 minutes ago, Dunbar said:

It may turn out that way for England.  Wane has only selected three club half backs in his squad in Lomax, Gale and Williams so we may be seeing Williams and Lomax which could reproduce the same problem that Raiders have been suffering with in that neither are strictly game management type players.

Gale plus Williams or Gale plus Lomax may be better combinations.

Gale would have to improve on his Leeds form. Not impressed me so far.

I wonder if Widdop may get back in. He’s finally stopped looking miserable and playing well. 

[DavidM]

1 hour ago, Man of Kent said:

Do you think so? For me, he’s still not the organising halfback who gets teams round the park that he ought to be at this stage of his career. 

I think he’s done that job at Canberra , even to the point of being detrimental to his own game which is probably more off the cuff . Wighton is a big figure there and is playing the type of game George would naturally play . He’s complimenting him to a degree and even , or maybe especially if , it isnt naturally him he’s done the job asked of him and done it really well in the main . I think it looks as much his team as anyones . He links the play , ends the sets and creates chances , as well as being an individual threat . His game is solid . Generally over his whole  stay  he’s more than held his own against the other halves around . 

[Mr Frisky]

1 hour ago, graveyard johnny said:

i imagine you and mr frisky were still waiting for santa and the tooth fairy when you were 16 - i however am realistic - williams will be most likely the england hb in the wc - just like in his short nrl stint he will be watching cleary and munster etc give masterclasses in half back play - he will soon be forgot in the nrl and back home be more suited to playing leigh and wakey - he gave it a go but didnt work out for various reasons

Bit like when you tried to post a coherent RL post on here that made sense- you gave it a go but didn't work out for various reasons.

[graveyard johnny]

at least he can feel better than watkins who bottled it as soon as he realised he was way out of his depth (about 20 mins in to the 1st training session)

[graveyard johnny]

4 minutes ago, Mr Frisky said:

Bit like when you tried to post a coherent RL post on here that made sense- you gave it a go but didn't work out for various reasons.

crikey!

[Mr Frisky]

7 minutes ago, graveyard johnny said:

at least he can feel better than watkins who bottled it as soon as he realised he was way out of his depth (about 20 mins in to the 1st training session)

Or when his dad was on deaths door.....

[graveyard johnny]

5 minutes ago, Mr Frisky said:

Or when his dad was on deaths door.....

rhymes with a toad of scollops 

[graveyard johnny]

11 minutes ago, Mr Frisky said:

Or when his dad was on deaths door.....

could have had leave and come home for a few weeks then gone back to play his contract - if it hadn't been that excuse it would have been a different one - not got the minerals at that level - sorry if you can't deal with the truth

[Chrispmartha]

What a strange character Graveyard Johnny is, would be interesting to see if he’d spout off infront off Watkins himself about how he dealt with his severely ill father.

[ATLANTISMAN]

On 04/05/2021 at 12:08, Dunbar said:

Well, I am sat in my flat in Chiswick (West London) doing a bit of work and catching up with TotalRL of course.  From my window, I can see a very nice local pub (one of two pretty much on my doorstep), a very nice restaurant and a lovely park which we walk across to get to Chiswick High Road which has much more of the same.  It is quiet, friendly and safe.

I like it here but I also accept that some people prefer smaller/rural places.

But it isn't a cesspit. 

Chiswick is lovely (I lived there for over 14 years) London is a fantastic city happy now though to live in a little village in Kent and to also spend 40% of the year working in Spain.

Homesick never have lived in New York Toronto Moscow Amsterdam and Perpignan enjoyed them all  

Would quite fancy selling up in Spain next year and buying a place in France again (For the rugby off course:)))

 

P 

[Dunbar]

11 minutes ago, ATLANTISMAN said:

Chiswick is lovely (I lived there for over 14 years) London is a fantastic city happy now though to live in a little village in Kent and to also spend 40% of the year working in Spain.

Homesick never have lived in New York Toronto Moscow Amsterdam and Perpignan enjoyed them all  

Would quite fancy selling up in Spain next year and buying a place in France again (For the rugby off course:)))

 

P 

I like the idea of the South of France for the Rugby... Toulouse or Perpignan. Mrs Dunbar and myself are talking through what happens when our daughter goes off to University (a few years yet). I am pushing for a nice flat in London as a base... summer in London, winter in the Caribbean and Spring and Autumn in Italy and France.  I don't want to wish my life away but I am looking forward to it.

[Rupert Prince]

1 hour ago, Man of Kent said:

Gale would have to improve on his Leeds form. Not impressed me so far.

I wonder if Widdop may get back in. He’s finally stopped looking miserable and playing well. 

For various reasons Widdop played fullback in last world cup.  So not really seen at his best at half.  If fit I think the best combination would be Widdop and Williams.

Williams might follow Hanley and step in at 13 for Wigan if the Cap fits.

[fieldofclothofgold]

Maybe GW  could see out this season short term as been said and could get an offer from the other code? 

[Man of Kent]

3 minutes ago, fieldofclothofgold said:

Maybe GW  could see out this season short term as been said and could get an offer from the other code? 

Bit short for Aussie rules.

[Man of Kent]

8 minutes ago, Rupert Prince said:

For various reasons Widdop played fullback in last world cup.  So not really seen at his best at half.  If fit I think the best combination would be Widdop and Williams.

Williams might follow Hanley and step in at 13 for Wigan if the Cap fits.

Can’t see Williams as a loosie. 

England’s trouble is Lomax, Widdop and Williams are all excellent players but they are all best at stand-off, in my view. We don’t have a ‘definite first pick’ at first receiver.

 

[M j M]

6 hours ago, Saint Toppy said:

What wedge of salary cap ?

On the Eastmond thread you told us that he was on peanuts, in fact quoting his time with Leeds had only taken around £7.5 of cap space. Given the length of season left, by your own maths Leeds will only have around £45K left to spend as a saving on Eastmond.

Calm down la. The point on Eastmond is he had used up very little cap space. But freed up rather more by leaving so early. Leeds definitely aren't at cap but if they only had say £105k left freeing up £45k would get them to the £150k they'd need to bring in a marquee signing.

[Rupert Prince]

1 hour ago, Man of Kent said:

Can’t see Williams as a loosie. 

England’s trouble is Lomax, Widdop and Williams are all excellent players but they are all best at stand-off, in my view. We don’t have a ‘definite first pick’ at first receiver.

The first receiver is the hooker.    Very often the 6 and 7 work opposite sides.  They can of course play in tandem, but with hooker being more influential and with second rows playing as inside centers the old ways that half backs played together have been changing

There is a problem with having a dominant 7, if he is injured then your team is hobbled.

[DC77]

His own mental well-being comes first so he’s making the right call.

[Hull Kingston Bronco]

I see Williams’ own later statement puts a whole new complexion on this: He was happy to stay until the end of the year, he was just having a bad week and needed some time. Smells to me like Canberra have wilfully interpreted a young lads need to take a small amount of time of work as “games playing” and just cut him. With all of the talk about mental health in sport in the last few years, are we really so tone deaf?

 

I hope he stands his ground. Reading between the lines, if his pregnant wife - who lets face it never planned to be as isolated from her family as this - needed him today and this week, what man amongst us in the same boat would not have asked their employer for some time? 
 

Doesn’t reflect well on Stuart & Furner

[Adelaide Tiger]

1 hour ago, Allora said:

Canberra is just under 100 miles to the nearest NSW Beach, its under 2 hour drive.

There are some cattle stations where 100 miles is the distance from the front door to their letter box.

To me, coming over and living in Australia is all about your mindset.  Me and my wife both had the same mindset.  We were fed up of living in Cas - cue the witty comments - and wanted to live somewhere different.  Cornwall was too expensive so fancied Adelaide as the wife had an Aunty and Uncle plus two cousins of a similar age in Adelaide.  So off we went as a family.  We had no house or jobs lined up but we were prepared to dig in and give it a bl00dy good go.  14 years later it is still a holiday to me and all the family have thrived and have no intention of ever living in the UK again.

But, if your sole reason to live overseas, even for just a couple of years, is because you are offered a great financial incentive then problems may surface if you or your partner were never really expecting or fully committed to leaving the UK.

[Anita Bath]

100 miles - thats much further than anywhere on the M62 corridor is from a beach. No wonder he wants out of it  - its the proximity to New Brighton.

[Copa]

5 hours ago, DC77 said:

Canberra isn’t exactly the best location in Australia so that may had added to Williams desire to come back home. Boring place by all accounts, gets particularly cold, and is hundreds of miles from the coast. 

Highest average wages, highest levels of education, day trip to beach and snow, a national park network nearby as large as Wales, galleries, theatres, great restaurants, 10 minute work commute…

[Lowdesert]

There are so many facets to this.  Homesickness, mental well-being, Wife pregnancy, player Agent Andy Clarke and Company, Canberra decision makers, Team form,  former team mates advice.

Collectively they have all contributed.  I make no apology for saying George should have waited and stuck it out before making a decision.  IMO, if he was playing as he was, with all the rubbish in his head, he would have been exceptional with a clear mind and a happy family.  I still feel it is an opportunity lost for George, his wife and Canberra.  

Ive been hoping GW could develop the skills and form I think he’s capable of.   I think he’s played well for Canberra but only marginally better than if he had have stayed at Wigan if at all.  His game will be more structured now and he hasn’t lost his ability to just ‘go’ but I don’t believe he is much closer to his potential.

Apparently Clarke (is he still with The Sports Office with Phil and Ian Lenegan?) has been continually contacting Canberra about the release and testing the water with other clubs close to beaches.  In the cesspit that the Aussie media can turn into, did we really expect anything else from this information becoming public knowledge?

We may assume that GWs well-being has been at the forefront to this but I doubt Canberra would finish him on those grounds.  I think they have become fed up with the whole situation.  That and their current loss in form made the decision easy for Don Furner.  

 

 

 

 

 

[Jim Prendle]

13 hours ago, Man of Kent said:

Do you think so? For me, he’s still not the organising halfback who gets teams round the park that he ought to be at this stage of his career. 

George Williams has never been an organising type of half back, he is a strong running half with an excellent kicking game.

He was stuck in at 7 by Canberra to accommodate Wighton at 6 and at times it has worked. However, expecting Williams to turn into Peter Sterling was always a very long shot.

Wighton is a strong player, excellent close to the line, but he doesn't have the broken field running of Williams, or the kicking game. Despite that they are too similar to play as a Half back partnership.

I think Williams is being unfairly maligned for his supposed failure in the NRL. At times he has been excellent and at times he has been satisfactory, but calling him a failure is way too strong.

I am, of course, completely ignoring the thoughts of The Grim Reaper (Graveyard Jonny) as he would fall into a barrel of t!ts and come out sucking his thumb.

[Scubby]

Andy Clarke - now there's a guy who has always got the best interests of the game at heart. 

Good luck to George