GEORGE WILLIAMS says he and Gareth Widdop can team up to drive Warrington Wolves to Super League success.
The 26-year-old halfback is finding his feet back in Super League after 18 months in the NRL with Canberra Raiders.
And the former Wigan Warriors man, who came face to face with his first club at Magic Weekend, is enjoying the challenge.
“Everyone has been brilliant and taken me in really well,” said Williams, who marked his debut four matches earlier with a last-gasp, victory-clinching field goal at Leeds Rhinos.
“In the position I play, you have to make the calls and it took me a week or two, but it’s come to me now.
“Gaz (Widdop) is a great player who has been really good this year, I’m happy to be at the side of him to do what’s best for the team.
“Hopefully we can complement each other and we can showcase that at the back end of the year.”
While Warrington might have lost out in their memorable meeting with St Helens, departing coach Steve Price believes the 24-14 setback could have benefits come the play-offs.
The Wolves are desperate to mark the Australian’s fourth and final campaign at the helm before he returns Down Under by claiming a first title since 1955.
But Price knows Warrington, who made the Super League Grand Final in his first season, will have to find a big improvement on their last two play-off outings.
Back in 2019, they were beaten 14-12 at home to Castleford Tigers in an elimination semi-final while last year, Hull won 27-14 at the Halliwell Jones Stadium at the same stage.
Now they are seeking some consistency at the business end of the regular season.
Warrington host Salford Red Devils on Saturday before a trip to Castleford, led by their future coach Daryl Powell, on Friday week, September 17.
“The St Helens game was what we needed,” said Price, who is to rejoin the coaching team at Cronulla Sharks, having been on the staff for the 2016 NRL Grand Final success.
“They dominated the first part of the game before we got back into it to lead (14-10) at half-time, then they got back into it in the second half.”
It was the Wolves’ first defeat in five meetings with Saints, and the coach continued: “We were disappointed, of course, but we showed a lot of guts and determination.
“We hadn’t had a good, hard, tough high-intensity game like that for a long time and I think it’s going to put us in good shape going forward.
“We’ll take a lot of confidence out of it while understanding we still need to improve and get better at certain aspects of our game.”
Meanwhile the Wolves have been strongly linked for 2022 with Hull Kingston Rovers’ threequarter Greg Minikin, who previously played at Castleford Tigers under incoming Warrington coach Daryl Powell.
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