Gareth Widdop will NOT be leaving Warrington Wolves to make way for George Williams.
The in-form halfback is being intensely linked with a return to the NRL in a move that would pave the way for Warrington to secure Williams immediately.
Williams will return to the UK over the weekend and is expected to sign for the Wolves, though they will have to free up some room on the salary cap to make the move come to fruition for the remainder of the year.
That has coincided with the latest wave of rumours surrounding Widdop, who is the subject of reported interest from Canberra Raiders and New Zealand Warriors.
One report even suggested that Warrington would be willing to part ways with the former St George Illawarra Dragons playmaker if he was offered a return down under.
However, this has been strongly denied by Wolves CEO Karl Fitzpatrick, who insists Widdop is settled at the club and they have no intentions of releasing him from his contract.
"The reports are way off the mark," he told Rugby League Live.
"Gareth is currently very happy at the club and I think this shows in his performances
"If we did get approached from the NRL we'd have no intention to release him early."
Widdop has been in sensational form for the Wolves so far this season, with his performances earning him a recall to the England setup.
But rumours surrounding his future have never been far away. His family has returned to Australia, which has resulted in constant talk that he is pursuing a return down under too.
With Williams now almost certain to join Warrington, it remains to be seen how they intend to free up the salary cap space to finalise the move.
But Widdop will not come into the equation.
