George's problem for me is ego. The way he treated Wigan on his return from Aus demonstrated a hugely inflated sense of his own importance. I've seen quite a bit of Wire this season, and have yet to see anything from him that would justify that.

He drifts in and our of games, doing the odd good thing. Which is exactly what he used to do at Wigan. He made more of an effort at Canberra, but that's likely because he knew that nothing less would be tolerated ... which indicates to me that he's capable of a lot more than he's delivering.

Someone compared him to Trent Barrett. I couldn't disagree more. Barrett made a poor team look better than it was by taking games by the scruff of the neck and winning them virtually on his own. I've never ever seen George Williams do that.

He's not the kind of player who would, because he's one of these who seems to think that simply being on the field justifies his salary.

We've had several of these at Wigan in recent times. Thankfully, they're all now someone else's problem.

We couldn't afford him unless we offloaded players.

Williams gave us good service and he is a good player but his agent must be a magician to have pulled his marquee contracts out of his hat. He is worthy of being paid to a level of a top 5 player at any superleague club but when you hear he’s probably the highest paid player in the league, it just makes you think that George must get his agent a decent Christmas present.

It's not hard to imagine that his "cap value" wouldn't be too far off what we paid Zak. His real world salary tho, is something different.

I've never bought into the Williams hype as he's essentially a HB with great footwork, but holes in the rest of his game. That isn't an issue when you've got Tomkins outside you, delivering killer balls. When you need him to be that player however, it all unravels.

That being said, his benefit to Wigan with all the dispensations we'd have got, made it an attractive option.

I'll hold my hand up: when GW was on the point of leaving Canberra, I said, it would be just awful if he ended up at Warrington or Leeds. A sentiment shared by many Wigan fans at the time, I'm sure.

But nowadays, I'm much more relaxed about it!



And, as I've said before, I like Cust. He is a half, not a dummy-half as some keep insisting for some reason, and after a slightly shaky start in SL, I think he is improving week on week, and can be a good player for us for years to come. We have a pairing with real potential with him and Harry Smith.

Cust and Smith as a pair look to have real potential as for Williams he needs to get his head sorted given he’s likely to be the starting half for England in a few months time

The halves are looking a real problem for England. Williams woefully short of form, Dodd injured, rumours of Lomax having gone the same way and there’s not much after that. I’d probably be looking at pushing Tomkins up and putting Welsby at fullback as things stand.

I would want Wane to swallow his pride and give Jackson Hastings a call.

Absolutely not.

Wane is building a culture.

Australian players should not be part of that culture.

Maybe but the lad worries me. Class player but I’m not convinced he was ever good for squad harmony here. I’m not even sure why but it all just felt a bit weird.

If ever a player needed a good coach to show him how to play it’s George Williams.

He just doesn’t have that at Warrington who appear to be going backwards under Powell.

Quality player but I’m more than happy with Cust.

Wane might be right to swallow his pride if it was a Joey Johns we were talking about, but Jackson Hastings? The injuries are unfortunate. Williams on current form surely doesn't merit selection, and Gale is surely past it.Maybe we would be as well playing ST in the halves, we have a few half-decent full-backs. And Jake Connor.

I'm not sure what the viable alternatives are. I'm sure Wane will be hoping Williams/Lomax are fit and in form come October but outside of that I don't know who he turns to without looking like a laughing stock. Will Pryce?

We’re probably no chance anyway but I’m not too down about injuries to Dodds and Lomax. We could put Tomkins and Connor at 6 and 7 and I don’t think we lose a great deal.

Think Wane will go with Williams in the knowledge that he will have some forwards to play behind.

If there's any coach who isn't fooled by undeserved reputations, It's Shaun Wane.

I never rated Williams. To be blunt, in a couple of years after he hangs his boots up . Almost no one will remember him. He's certainly no Edwards or Gregory.

I called it on here after that first Salford game and was shouted down. He wasn't commited to the club. He's an excellent player and a competitor so you will always get something from him. But we got a different version of Hastings from the one that Salford got and the one he's showing now at Wests in his preferred NRL gig.

On the field he tried his nuts off and as you say that was down to the competitive nature of him and it’s tough to put my finger on what it was but I just sensed Wigan was a bit of a second choice for him. It was weird times with Covid and there not being supporters at grounds, so maybe it was just the lack of opportunities to build relations with the fans but he certainly didn’t seem all in on Wigan as a club like he was at Salford or now is at Wests.

This would be what would concern me for England. He's an Aussie through and through. As much as he credits his time in England for turning his career round, it was always a stepping stone to a return to the NRL. I think he was always coming back in his last season with us but his reluctance to leave Australia and his desire to get back were clear as day. He would try his best for England, no doubt, as he did for us. Whether that would be the same Hastings as the fully committed version you got at Salford and now Wests or the 'trying hard but never quite gelling' version you got with us would be the big question.

I don’t think we’ll have to worry anyway, there’s no way Wane will pick him or any other non British born players anyway. Even if Lomax is badly injured, Dodds is out and even if a few more followed them on to the sidelines, I think he’d cobble together something from what’s left.

You're no doubt right. The only thing to change that with Waney is his desire to beat the Aussies. Would anything stand in his way of that? If Hastings rips it up in the NRL and becomes the stand out half, would that be enough to change his mind?

He is going over for the NRL Magic round and has said he’ll be keeping an eye on Hastings, so you never know but I still can’t see it. On talent alone he’s worth a place in the squad is Hastings.

Can I just say I don't think he has been that amazing for Wests? They are such a rabble this season, so anyone who can bring a semblance of order, and also, crucially, take some of the pressure off Brooks, is very welcome. Wests fans may be happy for now, but for how long?

Agreed.

He just isn’t that creative, managing games and setting plays up.

He’s very involved & gives 100%, but it’s quality over quantity imo. All he did yesterday was lots of catch and pass without much creativity, creating gaps, linking up with his 1 or 6.