George Williams

[Tommy Smith]

The Raiders should bring back Josh McCrone as a back up just in case Georgie is a flop.

 

[nick87]

The Raiders should bring back Josh McCrone as a back up just in case Georgie is a flop.

I think that's the way forward.
Ol @gitano / Sparkles will be pleased to know we're ripping Glenny Guttriss from fthe buffet table in (John) Bateman's Bay to fill in as our back up hooker

We're running the 2014 team back

 

[Lemon Squash]

This signing is bringing back horrible flashbacks of Chris Thorman for us Parra fans.

 

[Walpole]

Englishman Gary Stephens was the half in Manly's 1976 premiership win.

Andy Gregory was Man of the Match when Illawarra missed by a whisker in the Cup in 1989.

So it's been a while then.

Shaun Edwards, Sean Long, Andy Gregory, Jonathon Davies (all be it welsh union convert), Garry Schofield, Iestyn Harris, Kevin Sinfield, Danny Macquire probably the best of a limited selection in last three decades.

If you're throwing all those blokes in then let's not forget Gareth Widdop. But actual halfbacks? Who played more than a handful of games? Pretty slim pickings.

Good luck to George and Canberra, I reckon they've got a good shot next year, but he's battling history.

 

[Walpole]

I think that's the way forward.
Ol @gitano / Sparkles will be pleased to know we're ripping Glenny Guttriss from fthe buffet table in (John) Bateman's Bay to fill in as our back up hooker

We're running the 2014 team back

Dragons have got James Graham, Issac Luke and Trent Merrin in our pack next season. We'll win the 2014 comp before you blokes will.

 

[Sparkles 2001]

Dragons have got James Graham, Issac Luke and Trent Merrin in our pack next season. We'll win the 2014 comp before you blokes will.

Another few decades until the poor old raiders grab the chocies

 

[TDD91]

I think Williams will do alright at Canberra, having watched him since his debut at Wigan. He was thrust into the starting role quite early on, with no top quality halfback partner or a forward pack to lay the platform for him at any point. Pretty good defender, not in the Thomas Leuluai class of "Don't run at him, he'll break your ribs" but good for a halfback. He can be a bit overly reliant on his sidestep and has a tendency to force play to the left, but with better options around him he'll hopefully stop thinking that he has to take on all 13 men by himself and improve his game.

 

[Sparkles 2001]

More of this for sticky next season

 

[Travitoh]

Shaun Edwards, Sean Long, Andy Gregory, Jonathon Davies (all be it welsh union convert), Garry Schofield, Iestyn Harris, Kevin Sinfield, Danny Macquire probably the best of a limited selection in last three decades.

Danny Brough, Rob Burrows.

 

[LeagueXIII]

So it's been a while then.


If you're throwing all those blokes in then let's not forget Gareth Widdop. But actual halfbacks? Who played more than a handful of games? Pretty slim pickings.

Good luck to George and Canberra, I reckon they've got a good shot next year, but he's battling history.

Historically the five eight was the brains of the team...and the English have had many. When the game moved to the 10 metre rule it changed the game dramatically and since then the English halves have not been as prominent.

 

[Vee]

I've seen only snippets of him but I'll be very surprised if he's consistent NRL quality.

 

[Jack Deth]

Historically the five eight was the brains of the team...and the English have had many. When the game moved to the 10 metre rule it changed the game dramatically and since then the English halves have not been as prominent.

To be honest, i think the NRL is seeing a drop in the quality of its halves also. Albeit much much later than us.

I think the rule changes since the 80's mainly driven by Australia have a had detrimental effect on skill development. It's just took longer for it to become noticeable there.

 

[AJB1102]

From the little I've seen he looks alright.

All his good work seems to happen on the left so either him or Jack will have to switch sides if they're the halves. Jack probably doesn't know his left from right so that might not be an issue.

Not only will George be battling history with not a lot of good Pommy halfbacks have made it here, but Ricky, despite being a brilliant halfback himself, has a terrible time of coaching them.

 

[LeagueXIII]

To be honest, i think the NRL is seeing a drop in the quality of its halves also. Albeit much much later than us.

I think the rule changes since the 80's mainly driven by Australia have a had detrimental effect on skill development. It's just took longer for it to become noticeable there.

I agree, the game has become a process, as Bellamy says all the time. I find it like basketball in that I just watch the end of games now.

 

[Taking The Two]

He’ll be back at Wigan for 2021. He plays like a kid and runs aimlessly cross field. He’ll be torn a new one in the NRL.

 

[adamkungl]

He's got all the skills but whether he can quickly adjust to the pace and intensity of the NRL will be the deciding factor.
He's got speed, footwork, a top notch short kicking game, and can land beautiful passes both sides.
But so much of a halves game here is in organising, picking the right moment, kicking long under pressure, setting up the repeat, etc.

NRL defences won't give him as much space or time as he's used to.
He will need to straighten up his attack, pick his moments when to bounce cross-field. Those runs can work at this level - Todd Carney made a career on it - but not as often as they do in Super League.

The other stumbling block is how he fits into the Raiders. Will he and Wighton be the halves? They might be too similar, lacking an organising half. A 6 George Williams 7 Sam Williams combo could be an option, with Simple Jack moving to centre and Curtis Scott taking a back seat.

A lot of people above bagging pommy halves that have come out here, but just about the only one in the NRL era was Chris Thorman nearly 20 years ago, not exactly a big sample size.

 

[Chimp]

He's got all the skills but whether he can quickly adjust to the pace and intensity of the NRL will be the deciding factor.
He's got speed, footwork, a top notch short kicking game, and can land beautiful passes both sides.
But so much of a halves game here is in organising, picking the right moment, kicking long under pressure, setting up the repeat, etc.

NRL defences won't give him as much space or time as he's used to.
He will need to straighten up his attack, pick his moments when to bounce cross-field. Those runs can work at this level - Todd Carney made a career on it - but not as often as they do in Super League.

The other stumbling block is how he fits into the Raiders. Will he and Wighton be the halves? They might be too similar, lacking an organising half. A 6 George Williams 7 Sam Williams combo could be an option, with Simple Jack moving to centre and Curtis Scott taking a back seat.

A lot of people above bagging pommy halves that have come out here, but just about the only one in the NRL era was Chris Thorman nearly 20 years ago, not exactly a big sample size.

And Thorman was shit in the U.K anyway. Jordan Tansey is another who came over, but was always a bit part player at Leeds.

Williams is one of the best British half’s right now, but that doesn’t say much - the standard of British playmakers is at an all time low, and my guess would be that he’ll be found out very quickly (might not even make the 17), and will be back in Wigan way before the end of his contract.

 

[adamkungl]

lol Tansey
Didn't we play him at fullback when Minichello was busted? Was he ever a half?

 

[nick87]

He's got all the skills but whether he can quickly adjust to the pace and intensity of the NRL will be the deciding factor.
He's got speed, footwork, a top notch short kicking game, and can land beautiful passes both sides.
But so much of a halves game here is in organising, picking the right moment, kicking long under pressure, setting up the repeat, etc.

NRL defences won't give him as much space or time as he's used to.
He will need to straighten up his attack, pick his moments when to bounce cross-field. Those runs can work at this level - Todd Carney made a career on it - but not as often as they do in Super League.

The other stumbling block is how he fits into the Raiders. Will he and Wighton be the halves? They might be too similar, lacking an organising half. A 6 George Williams 7 Sam Williams combo could be an option, with Simple Jack moving to centre and Curtis Scott taking a back seat.

A lot of people above bagging pommy halves that have come out here, but just about the only one in the NRL era was Chris Thorman nearly 20 years ago, not exactly a big sample size.

Simple Jack aint moving.
The organisation thing is a little overrated these days for a half, virtually everyone is playing split halves, they really only need to organise their half.
The general direction and organisation for the Raiders is done by Josh Hodgson our of hooker

 

[nick87]

I dont know how he'll go. I dont watch ESL, and i havent bothered to watch much of him because i dont think anything i see there will inform me about how he'll handle NRL footy

Im fairly confident based on comments by people who have watched him a lot that he's got the skills/abilities to play NRL footy and be a damn good player, but you just dont know how his game will translate to the NRL footy and whether he's got it upstairs to respond to the change in defensive pressure, game speed etc.
Also how does he hold up physically in defence?

If he's Hodgson/Bateman level super star, the Raiders are in prime position to win the premiership IMO.
If he's a flop, our window will close very quickly on our fingers. Hopefully he's a slight downgrade on Sezer in defence but a good upgrade in attack... if that's what he is, i feel really good about the next 2 years

Im hopeful but the history of english halves is legit and people are right to be pretty skeptical.