Paper Talk: ‘Average’ George Williams, NRL powerhouse linked to Fev & World Club disappointment
Featherstone Rovers are being linked with a sensational move for NRL powerhouse Joseph Leilua, while LMS gives his thoughts on the World Club Challenge.
Average George Williams
Warrington stand-off George Williams conceded his performances were ‘average’ after joining the Wolves towards the end of 2021. (League Express)
He said: “I was trying to find my feet in the team and I wasn’t overly pleased with what I did.
“I was average. I’m looking forward to getting back into pre-season and giving it a good crack.”
Williams was part of the Warrington side that crashed out of the play-offs with a 19-0 home defeat to Hull KR.
It was Steve Price’s last game in charge of the Wolves, who have lost at the first stage of the play-offs for three seasons running.
Joseph Leilua linked to Featherstone
Featherstone have been linked with an extraordinary move for powerhouse NRL centre Joseph Leilua from Wests Tigers. (Daily Telegraph)
He left the Tigers at the end of the season after an apparent falling out with coach Michael Maguire.
The Samoa international said the Tigers had left it late to inform him they wouldn’t be taking up the extra year on his eye-watering $850,000 contract.
Pearce May have a new half-back partner
With one superstar Australian half-back in the bag, Catalans’ attention is now focused on tying up a deal for axed Penrith star Tyrone May. (League Express)
The 25-year-old was sacked by the NRL champions for comments posted on social media in the aftermath of the Grand Final win.
League Express reports negotiations have been ongoing between the Dragons and May’s management for the past 10 days.
PARTNER: Mitchell Pearce wants to help Catalans Dragons win Super League title
No World Club Challenge
Everyone’s given up on the World Club Challenge making a return in 2022.
It denies three-in-a-row Super League winners St Helens having a pop at NRL champions Penrith Panthers.
And Saints prop Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook had a typically cheeky view on it in his regular column in Forty-20 magazine.
He said: “It looks like we won’t be playing Penrith in the World Club Challenge next season.
“They’re clearly building something like we have here and it would have been great to have had a shot last year against Melbourne too, something we’ve missed out on, which is an understandable shame.
“If they’d suggested we go over there to face them in the hot sun, like Wigan and Leeds did, rather than run round a freezing reservoir I hope we’d have considered it!”
Cornwall costs
Substantial costs are going to be one of the many issues facing the new Cornwall RLFC. (The Guardian)
An excellent piece by Gavin Willacy looks at the latest move to expand League 1 – nodding back to previous failed attempts.
It estimates that each away game will cost Cornwall up to £5,000 a trip in overnight stays and travel.
They may decide to base somewhere like Bristol and only travel to Cornwall for matches.
But with an EU-study declaring Cornwall’s half-million population the second poorest region in northern Europe, it’s going to cost someone a lot of money to make it a success.
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