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News George Williams quits Raiders

Penrose Warrior

First Grade
Messages
8,602
He looked at his options in the NRL when he realised Canberra is a shithole, got nothing back, stayed put with no complaints.

Staying with no complaints is not the same as refusing to train or play a game.

I'd suggest the tipping point for the Raiders was when they heard he (and his manager) were shopping him around, less than one year into a 3-year big money contract. Matters no sh*t if he thinks Canberra is a shithole, even less so from a person who hails from the north of England.
 
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Penrose Warrior

First Grade
Messages
8,602
Sorry mate you need to have a read again then retract that comment.

Just read it, no retraction. Play on.

You happily ignored the other part. Why is he looking for options 1 year into a 3-year big money contract, when that club placed a massive amount of faith in him, paid a transfer fee etc? That's weak as piss. Because Canberra is a dive?
 

Johns Magic

Referee
Messages
21,654
Just read it, no retraction. Play on.

Ok so it’s a comprehension issue then.

My comment that you quoted referred to him being denied a release before his wife was pregnant, when it was just a case of not loving Canberra. That was quite clearly stated. He was happy to stay on with no complaints at that stage.

The refusing to train came once his wife was beside herself being locked up by the Raiders during Covid while having her first child.

You happily ignored the other part.

Actually you edited your post to add that after I had already replied to it?

Why is he looking for options 1 year into a 3-year big money contract, when that club placed a massive amount of faith in him, paid a transfer fee etc? That's weak as piss. Because Canberra is a dive?

Yeah it is weak as piss. And the Raiders quite rightly told him to cop it on the chin at that time. And all signs are that he did. I don’t think he was just going to refuse to train and force their hand in that scenario.

Is your response to him fishing around for clubs in the off-season that his wife should be made absolutely miserable in response? If so, that’s where we differ.
 

Penrose Warrior

First Grade
Messages
8,602
Ok so it’s a comprehension issue then.

My comment that you quoted referred to him being denied a release before his wife was pregnant, when it was just a case of not loving Canberra. That was quite clearly stated. He was happy to stay on with no complaints at that stage.

The refusing to train came once his wife was beside herself being locked up by the Raiders during Covid while having her first child.

Actually you edited your post to add that after I had already replied to it?

Yeah it is weak as piss. And the Raiders quite rightly told him to cop it on the chin at that time. And all signs are that he did. I don’t think he was just going to refuse to train and force their hand in that scenario.

Is your response to him fishing around for clubs in the off-season that his wife should be made absolutely miserable in response? If so, that’s where we differ.

Hahahaha bloody hell mate, the bit in bold is a bit over the top don't you think? I don't think they had her in shackles in the basement mate. And timeline wise, I would suggest they had a fair inkling that when they had unprotected intercourse, they wouldn't be getting back to the UK or no one was coming here. So they made that choice, 1 year into a 3 year deal. A commitment.

I don't like that his mrs is unhappy. Not one bit. But they're not mentally ill. They are living through the situation that they chose.

I also think the Raiders are not doing the 'right' thing that will help them as a club, but I certainly applaud to a point the fact they said nah bugger you, you shopped yourself around, you clearly don't have a commitment to this club that showed faith and massive $ invested in you, go now.
 

gerg

Juniors
Messages
2,237
As is always the case in rugby league the truth is somewhere in the middle. And as with every thread or commentary on the game you have the club supporters who will staunchly defend a club, even if they are in the wrong. On the other side are merkins who dislike the club or merkins involved and will attack at any opportunity.
 

bileduct

Coach
Messages
17,832
My comment that you quoted referred to him being denied a release before his wife was pregnant, when it was just a case of not loving Canberra. That was quite clearly stated. He was happy to stay on with no complaints at that stage.

The refusing to train came once his wife was beside herself being locked up by the Raiders during Covid while having her first child.
The Raiders aren't locking her up, mate. There's nothing stopping her from going home and being with the rest of the family. The club even gave George permission for three months paid leave to head back with her at the end of the season, and was willing to make other accommodations to help him through his issues. But nope, he got too sad to throw a football around.

Imagine if there was somebody else in the NRL that made the sacrifice of spending an extended period away from their wife and other loved ones during the covid19 crisis. Imagine... there was an entire team that did that...
 

martielang

Bench
Messages
3,375
He’s not going home because he’s homesick right now though. He’s going home at the end of the season because his wife is having a kid around then. That is when home sickness will become the serious issue.

He wasn't mentally fit to play or train though due to being homesick? He was trying to force their hand for an end of season move and it's backfired.
 

Perth Red

Post Whore
Messages
65,411
they are intrinsically linked , one is a player acting honorably & asking for a release due to mental health issues. The Raiders would have granted the release on his terms theres little doubt because he was told the club would work with him on this issue.

the other is a player acting like a slimebag using mental health as an excuse to break his contract.
you want out george ?
there ya go , you're gone. F off & good riddance & this suggestion that the Raiders should have ignored his behind the scenes activities & played his game is ludicrous. Everyone knew what his go was & the club & its management would have looked like far bigger fools if they had caved in to his little caper. The Raiders did what they had to do.

You should get a job with the Raiders human resources team lol
 

Perth Red

Post Whore
Messages
65,411
Just read it, no retraction. Play on.

You happily ignored the other part. Why is he looking for options 1 year into a 3-year big money contract, when that club placed a massive amount of faith in him, paid a transfer fee etc? That's weak as piss. Because Canberra is a dive?

$600k for arguably one of the few decent halfbacks in the game isnt a big money contract in NRL terms. Seems part of the problem with raiders, understandably given they are untested in NRL, going in low ball for english players, then when they look class the players want out because they are deemed under paid maybe?
And TBF whilst not a dive its not exactly the Australian dream is it? lol
 

Johns Magic

Referee
Messages
21,654
Hahahaha bloody hell mate, the bit in bold is a bit over the top don't you think? I don't think they had her in shackles in the basement mate.

I imagine plenty of women being told they have to give birth alone because of a contract which doesn’t take into account that global circumstances have changed would feel pretty upset. Call it what you want but being able to roam the streets of Belconnen ain’t gonna make her feel like she has a support network.

And timeline wise, I would suggest they had a fair inkling that when they had unprotected intercourse, they wouldn't be getting back to the UK or no one was coming here. So they made that choice, 1 year into a 3 year deal. A commitment.

That commitment was made when the world was a totally different place. They didn’t sign up for this.

Are you seriously saying players with existing contracts who like their family should sacrifice having kids during it now?

I don't like that his mrs is unhappy. Not one bit. But they're not mentally ill. They are living through the situation that they chose.

They chose to sign a three-year contract in Canberra when they and their family could travel freely between there and England.

They didn’t choose border lockdowns.

It’s the Canberra Raiders who have to accept that. Instead they are hiding behind a contract which was drawn up in a different universe.

I also think the Raiders are not doing the 'right' thing that will help them as a club, but I certainly applaud to a point the fact they said nah bugger you, you shopped yourself around, you clearly don't have a commitment to this club that showed faith and massive $ invested in you, go now.

So you are glad they are using the pregnancy situation to get revenge. Because without the pregnancy situation, this doesn’t come up.

Try and be bigger than that mate.
 

Johns Magic

Referee
Messages
21,654
The Raiders aren't locking her up, mate. There's nothing stopping her from going home and being with the rest of the family. The club even gave George permission for three months paid leave to head back with her at the end of the season, and was willing to make other accommodations to help him through his issues. But nope, he got too sad to throw a football around.

Imagine if there was somebody else in the NRL that made the sacrifice of spending an extended period away from their wife and other loved ones during the covid19 crisis. Imagine... there was an entire team that did that...

Didn’t the Warriors give permission for the players who had special cases last year to stay home for the rest of the season and still get paid?
 

Johns Magic

Referee
Messages
21,654
He wasn't mentally fit to play or train though due to being homesick? He was trying to force their hand for an end of season move and it's backfired.

Mate the obvious answer is that he and his wife were gutted about not being able to have their kid at home with their family. Williams asked them to let him go at the end of this season so they could do that, and they said no. If they had said yes I suspect he’s fronting up for training keen to finish the season strong.

Yeah I can imagine that was a pretty big black cloud in their life. They had said they were willing to stick out the few months now until that time came though.

Instead the Raiders have said if you aren’t here the full 18 months, we’re f**king you.

People saying well if you’re homesick then you’re homesick now. No. They are not so homesick now that they need to leave immediately. They know they bloody well will be when the kid arrives though. And being told they are locked into that would have taken a massive toll on the two of them.
 
Messages
3,224
Ok so this is the level of intellect we are dealing with here…
ive read your bleeding heart crap enough to know I'm certainly not dealing with any where you're concerned

I can see straight through you ..
Your anti Ricky Stuart anti Raiders agenda is pretty pathetic

if the Raiders had released him on his terms & he'd gone to another club , you'd of been the first to get stuck into Stuart & the club for that too
 

Pete Cash

Post Whore
Messages
61,832
What I dont understand from the clubs perspective is that we have the bye this week. So why didnt they just say George is "injured" and spend the next two weeks hashing out a release. Neither party can just make the deal vanish. Hence why George is agitating for release in the first place.

I really do not understand why the club has handled it the way they have.
 
Messages
3,224
What I dont understand from the clubs perspective is that we have the bye this week. So why didnt they just say George is "injured" and spend the next two weeks hashing out a release. Neither party can just make the deal vanish. Hence why George is agitating for release in the first place.

I really do not understand why the club has handled it the way they have.

hmmm
mabes because
he lied to them about the reasons for his release
 

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