Widdop’s ‘surreal’ return to Halifax
When Halifax-born, rugby league-mad Gareth Widdop emigrated to Australia as a 16-year-old, the prospect of representing his hometown club seemed remote.
Eighteen years later the chance of playing for Halifax Panthers seemed even more inconceivable having called time on a glittering career which included an NRL Grand Final triumph and a World Club Challenge victory, as well as a runners-up medal for England after starring at the 2017 World Cup.
He had returned back to his home country in 2020 to join Warrington Wolves for three seasons. One solitary season with Castleford Tigers followed before he announced his retirement from the game in October 2023.
What happened next, in December, resulted in Fax fans surely dreaming, daring not to close their eyes as what they were seeing was scarcely believable.
“It’s still a little bit strange,” even Widdop himself admits three months on from signing for Halifax for the 2024 campaign.
He says: “I thought it would probably never happen. I was born and raised here but an opportunity came up to pull on that jersey this year after I finished up and, being back here and living in Halifax now, I thought I would give it a crack, especially, as a rugby league player, our careers are very short.
“It’s a bit surreal but once the league season comes along and we are playing week in, week out, I think it will kick in a little bit more.
“But I certainly didn’t think it would eventually happen after being in Australia for 15 years. We’re here now and I’m enjoying it. It’s been good.”
Even before making a name for himself Down Under, a young Widdop was obsessed with rugby growing up in Halifax.
He reflects: “Rugby league has been my life. All my family have played it and it has been a big part of my life. From running around at Thrum Hall to playing for King Cross at the age of five and watching my dad play for the local team Park Amateurs. It’s definitely been in the bloodline to play rugby league.
“And every kid in the area wanted to play for Halifax. It was a good team back then. We’re at The Shay now but it’s one of those things as a kid that you want to do.
“I’ve managed to tick off a lot of boxes in my career and this is the final one I had to accomplish.”
Those boxes that have already been successfully marked off by Widdop, who celebrated his 35th birthday on Tuesday (March 12), aren’t, in all probability, on your average Championship player’s CV.
But the stand-off is determined to help his hometown club, which is packed with homegrown talent, to a successful 2024.
He says: “I have been very fortunate but I have had to work my backside off to get to where I am in the game.
I have achieved everything, more than I thought I would potentially achieve.
“I have played with some of the best players, played in some of the biggest games, Grand Finals, World Club Challenges and represented my country. This is another one to add to the list and hopefully I can play my part on and off the field throughout the year and get this club to where it wants to go. It’s heading in the right direction.
“A lot of Halifax boys are in the squad now. The club has had some great players in the past that have been lost to Super League. Down the track, it would be nice to keep those homegrown players playing for Halifax and strengthen the club.
“I think we have about 10 or 11 that live in Halifax and probably half of them are from Halifax. It is certainly good for the town.”
What is certainly more than good for the town of Halifax, and for the Panthers, is having Gareth Widdop back home.