Rumours are Williams in 2018 not this season coming



I hope that on this occasion mole has got it wrong!!

The Mole is usually not far off and if that's the case Williams to Warrington wont be happening, but he will be off to the NRL at some point which would be easier to take rather than a super league club. Extract from his Monday scoops



"NRL clubs showing interest in England star



Several NRL clubs are looking at poaching Wigan and England five-eighth George Williams for next season.



Williams is under contract to Wigan but is believed to be keen to try his hand in the NRL in the wake of the success of the likes of the Burgess brothers and James Graham in recent years.



Williams stood out in a disappointing England team in the recent Four Nations, starting against Scotland with good effect and coming off the bench against the Kangaroos.



Look for his agent to open talks with NRL clubs in coming weeks."

I just don't think GW is 'NRL-ready' right now.

If Joe Burgess barely is, likewise Hardaker, what chance George in a more difficult position?



Put it this way: I can't imagine many Aussie fans thinking, let's dump our current 6 and get that rookie from Wigan in.

Can you?

I'm hoping the relative failure of English backs compared to forwards is enough to put NRL clubs off Williams for at least another 4 or 5 years.

I was gutted when we lost Tomkins, I'd be equally gutted if we lost Williams or Bateman now. I really feel like we have what it takes to win a treble soon, but we need to keep our best players at the club.



Joe Burgess has already basically said that he will go back to the NRL in a few years if he gets offers, I don't want to lose all our best talent.

You'd have to say that Wigan have made a pretty good fist of managing their players over the last five years. It's all very well saying that we 'need' to keep players in order to be successful, but we have shown that actually we have been able to let players go and return whilst maintaining a decent level of success.



Players won't be kept at any Super League club against their wishes. The NRL has so much more to offer- higher wages, better living conditions and a better standard of rugby (and the weakness of the pound doesn't help matters either). If Williams, Burgess and Bateman decide to go, then so be it. Whether they are good enough to make it is a different matter. My belief is that if Josh Hodgson can make it, then they certainly can. I doubt that they will be back at Wigan as quickly as Sam Tomkins was. If ever.

What makes you say/think that? I don't think you could say any of the three (although excellent) are as good for us as Sam was before he left. In attack Sam was unbelievable before he left for New Zealand.

Anyone think that the signing of Escare (for a year with an extra year in Wigans favour) is future planning for Williams leaving end of 2017 and Tomkins moving to Stand Off?

Yeah that thought crossed my mind too. If GW does leave that fine, as long as it's NRL because at least he's trying to progress his career. If he does join Warrington I'd be seriously ed off. That would be the biggest kick in the teeth.

That's an excellent post. The key to keeping it going is to continue to produce excellence from the academy/scholarship systems and back that up with astute signings. We had two tremendous year groups (Sutton, Williams, Hampshire, Burgess, Tierney) followed by (Shorrocks, Gregson, Bretherton Gildart etc) However the next two year groups don't seem to be quite as good, although I do think the likes of Shelford and Higginson, could progress along with a couple from the next year down. If that is the case then maybe we will have to look "outside" the club for more signings.

Rads, Lenagan and Wane are not mugs, and I know they have short and long term plans for players coming through and further recruitment (1, 3, and 5 year I believe)

If Williams goes to the NRL before he's had 5 or 6 very good seasons in SL, he's being very badly advised. If he's not at the very top of his game over there he'll get found out very quickly at halfback.



If the Dire can prise him away from us then serious questions would need to be asked about our planning (which I don't think they will - he seems a sensible lad and I expect us to putting together a deal to build the team around him).

He's going nowhere.

Possibly but i think it is more realistic that this could happen when Tommy retires. Whether Escare would be willing to wait around for that chance im not too sure. Personally, i don't see Williams leaving Wigan till his mid 20s. I think players are seeing that the grass isn't always greener despite the obvious attraction. We might have naff weather but players don't realise what they have at Wigan until they leave. Wouldn't blame the lad for giving it a go though.