George to end UK rot
IT wouldn’t matter if George Williams was from Wigan or Wagga Wagga, becoming the halfback for a team with premiership aspirations would be a tough ask.
But seeing as Williams is from Wigan, the new Raiders playmaker doesn’t just have expectations to fulfil as he replaces grand final halfback Aidan Sezer – he has to defy a quarter century of failure from his countrymen.
“But the reason George is good is because he performs under pressure,” the Raiders’ star Englishman John Bateman said.
“I’m not saying he’s going to go out there and score 10 tries in his first game – but that’d be perfect, he’d love that as well.
“I know what he’s about and once he settles down and plays his game he’ll be the George Williams we know.
“Sez (Aidan Sezer) loved taking control, getting his hands on the ball from play to play, but George is more of a runner, an attacking player who likes to get on the front foot.”
Bateman played alongside Williams in two Super League grand final victories, and has no doubt his countryman can end 25 years of English backs failing to make it in the Australian competition.
Williams himself sees ending that streak as a point of pride.
“I’ve got a point to prove, for myself and for Super League, really,” he said.
“Quite a lot has been spoken about English backs not doing well, and I want to change that. I like to play what I see, little bit off the cuff but I’m not going to be a world-beater from Round 1, I’m going to build into it slowly.”
A list of the Super League backs to have fallen over in the NRL, apart from Brian Carney’s one year with the Knights in 2006, makes for grim reading.
Joe Burgess and Dan Sarginson were Test players who barely made it through one season.
Ditto Zak Hardaker. Sam Tomkins was supposed to be the British Billy Slater until he wasn’t.
The jury is still out on Kallum Watkins, of the Titans, and Ryan Hall but the start hasn’t been promising.