Exactly. The fact there's a thread on here called "Widdop's family" smacks of poor taste to me, especially when it comes to people speculating about what's going on behind the scenes and making judgements on overseas players not knowing in advance how their families would settle.

I agree, but unless the dice fall any other way, I can see Ashton at fullback next year, unless of course that Tommy gets his marching orders and Ashton moves to wing.

I really like Ratch at fullback, but as I said before - from a team point of view SP may decide otherwise.

Ok so if Widdop does leave can we not get Sezer from Hudds please.

Him and Blake would run riot.

So the rumours persist, he’s been offered a deal by the North Queensland’s Cowboys to return to the NRL next year..

Yeah he won't be here next season that's for sure. Odd that he's linked with the NQL Cowboys though when his famiy are based in Sydney.

This es me right off. Did he not discus it with his family before he signed?

Who knew eh? Oh yeh...

I've got no problem at all with him going if he goes. If his family don't want to be here and are unhappy then let him go, he goes with my full blessing. Came over, give it ago in a very boring most of the time team that is clueless in attack most of the time. He won't really be missed to be fair, he's not come over and lit the team up like sezer so i hope he finds a club back home.

What did he not discuss the potential for a global pandemic hitting and his family being put into lockdown in an alien country?

I can't believe that wasn't at the forefront of their thinking back in early 2019 either.

It's been hard enough for us locals so how hard must it be, as PY says, for his family in an alien country. Gareth has a ready made set of mates and rugby to keep him occupied. His family have 4 walls to stare at. It's a real shame as I, as well as many others, had high hopes for this halfback pairing. He hasn't actually gone yet though.

Maybe the reality of being so far from home was harder to deal with than they expected. You never know. Whatever it was, it must have been exacerbated by the last nine months of restrictions.

He’s not lit the team up here and if he’ll be happier somewhere else then good luck to him. It has been a funny year but it should be a lesson that big name signings won’t change our world by themselves.

I think this is good news for Warrington if true. Widdop has been anonymous on a huge wage and if you can get that cap wage back its a good deal all round. Problem Warrington seem to have though is you can never seem to sign a good half back. Sandow was good but a loose cannon. Kurt Gidley was class but a better 1. If the club has known about it for a while i wonder who they have lined up? Be an interesting signing that because your side really isn't that far away but that is certainly a weak area. Rob Butler is a very good signing too. He will come on leaps and bounds in a higher class of facilities and training regimes. I would have wanted him at Wigan if we didn't have so many young props coming through.

His wife is an Aussie as are his kids you can’t blame them for being homesick. They had already gone back to Australia whilst he was playing here during lockdown. I don’t blame Widdop one bit for wanting to be with his kids half way across the world. Family is more important. It’s always the risk you take signing Aussie based players. I’d look more at the club, did we do our due diligence? Hmm...

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