The strange case of George Williams.

I dared to post some disappointment in him mid season, and rightly or wrongly was put into a corner by every poster who replied.
Now I feel there are still unanswered questions…

His ability is not in question, but where is the world class halfback we signed and made the richest earner in SL history?

Who can honestly say Wire have…
The Williams that ripped it up at Wigan and became a GF & CC winner, more than once?
The Williams that was headlines all over Australasia, as the best half back in the world at Canberra?
The Williams that was a sensation and proud skipper for England against Tonga?

Where was just one of those 3 Williams above at St Helens in the play off? That Williams would have won that game.
I cannot fathom it, as The Williams we have now is/was leading the Man of Steel on points? How?

I've no problem with Williams this year, if Ashton hadn't won player of the year it would have been George easily.

Has he been let down by parts of the team post collapse? Probably

I'm quite happy too & think he needs more running firepower around him.
Expectations are, quite rightly, high but all top players have quiet games. He needs a restful off season to clear up injury niggles.

As you’ve said many times Duckie, he needs a pack around him doing the business, which for the last 2/3rds of the season he hasn’t had.

My one criticism is he tends to run the ball too much when we are clearly underperforming, I can see it almost as a barometer of the team performance how much Williams feels he must run the ball.

Several times against Saints he had the ball in a bit of space and there just weren’t the passing options, line runners available to him. We need people in movement when we have the ball, one for Burgess and Gleeson to work on in pre season.

I wouldn’t swap him for another half in SL.

No issues with Williams what so ever, one of our best and most consistant players all year.

We seem quitr keen to give Georgie an excuse but there is undoubtedly a pattern - in a Wire shirt I've never seen him take a game of magnitude by the scruff of the nexk and dominate.

The pack this year may have underperformed bur in several games they provided a platform and Williams failed to deliver.

Lomax is delivering consistently alongside an averagr HB partner and with a beat up pack.

French isn't even a half back and is playing superbly alongside an average HB partner with a workmanlike Wigan pack.

Our culture of not holding marquee playera up to the scrutiny their wages dictate they should be placed under is part of the problem.

I think you might be underplaying the strength of Saints (beat up??) & Wigan (workmanlike) packs & overplaying the consistency of both their half backs. But agree our top players should always be up to scrutiny.

Saints aren't frightened of moving players on if they don't quite fit in & buying a better piece of the jig saw. I'm sure many of our players are more than happy to see out their time with us in the comfort zone that is the Wire.

GW is by far our best player.
However, you only had to watch this mornings NRL final to see a top top half back in Nathan Cleary. I know he has better players around him but the way he got Penrith on the winners platform with that last 20 mins performance was incredible.
That what I wanted GW to do yesterday, win us the game. He’s probably carrying a injury but I bet you it won’t stop him turning out for England at end of month.

He's a good player but obviously made his mind up when returning to the UK to chase the £££ rather than the trophies. Can't blame him for that.

Think that's quite harsh on Harry Smith for crust munchers . Lousy Goalkicker this season but I'd say he's a decent half back that add good short kicking game.

As for Williams for me he looked injured for me, his speed wasn't there against Saints, I certainly wouldn't trade him for any other current SL halfback.

This is always something I'm concerned about with English players who come back from the NRL, particularly if they've already won trophies in SL. Almost always they're doing it for reasons outside of rugby - usually money, family or homesickness. Williams has probably followed the same pattern as John Bateman when he came back - dreadful and demotivated in his first year, pretty good in the second but without really reaching his best consistently.

It'll be interesting to see how Luke Thompson does at Wigan given he gave an interview just a few months ago stating how he didn't want to leave the NRL and that he was really motivated to crack it there. Money might be the sensible longer term choice but I'm not sure it motivates a player to be the best he can be.

Been playing on one leg for weeks

No problem with him at all..... cant be easy coming into such a mediocre side.... his time with us has hardly been filled with joy has it.

I also know he has been playing through injuries for alot of this season.

When it comes to pointing the finger... he isnt even on the list.

Hard to win a game on your own against the reigning SL champions on one leg.

Very strange call out this one tbh.