The Canberra Raiders have released halfback George Williams from his playing contract, effective immediately.
Last month, the English international requested to depart the Raiders at the end of the season on compassionate grounds, but the 26-year-old has instead been granted an immediate release with 18 months remaining on his contract.
The homesick Williams was let go from the club after withdrawing from training and this weekend’s game against the Sydney Roosters.
His partner Charlotte Lewis is pregnant with their first child.
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The Raiders released a statement on Tuesday afternoon: “Williams and his management asked for a release on compassionate grounds for the end of the 2021 season.
“However the club has decided it is in the best interests of both parties to grant an immediate release to allow both parties to plan for their respective futures.”
Williams has played 31 games for Canberra since making his NRL debut last year, scoring 10 tries for the club.
Raiders chief executive Don Furner said: “George and his partner have asked on a number of occasions for a release to return to England to be closer to their families and we’ve decided to grant their request.
“George withdrew from training today and from the game this weekend which highlighted to the Club the seriousness of George’s request.
“Over the past several weeks we have supported George and provided him with the best welfare support we could, however as a Club we felt that his position at the club moving forward became untenable.”
Sam Williams is the most likely candidate to don the No. 7 jersey for the rest of the season, and has been named in the starting 13 for this weekend’s clash in Gosford.
The Raiders are enduring a horror season, clinching only four wins in the opening 11 rounds of the 2021 premiership.
Canberra will next face the Roosters at Central Coast Stadium on Saturday evening, with kick-off scheduled for 7.35pm AEST.
BRISBANE BRONCOS VS MELBOURNE STORM
Thursday, May 27 at 7.50pm AEST — Suncorp Stadium
Broncos team: 1. Jamayne Isaako 2. Xavier Coates 3. Herbie Farnworth 4. Jesse Arthars 5. David Mead 6. Anthony Milford 7. Albert Kelly 8. Rhys Kennedy 9. Jake Turpin 10. Payne Haas 11. Keenan Palasia 12. Tevita Pangai Junior 13. Thomas Flegler 14. Kobe Hetherington 15. John Asiata 16. Ethan Bullemor 17. Tc Robati 18. Dale Copley 19. Selwyn Cobbo 20. Richard Kennar 21. Cory Paix
Storm team: 1. Nicholas Hynes 2. George Jennings 3. Reimis Smith 4. Justin Olam 5. Josh Addo-Carr 6. Chris Lewis 7. Jahrome Hughes 8. Jesse Bromwich 9. Brandon Smith 10. Christian Welch 11. Felise Kaufusi 12. Tom Eisenhuth 13. Dale Finucane 14. Aaron Booth 15. Tui Kamikamica 16. Trent Loiero 17. Nelson Asofa-Solomona 18. Dean Ieremia 19. Isaac Lumelume 20. Aaron Pene 21. Cooper Johns
NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS VS WARRIORS
Friday, May 28 at 6pm AEST — Queensland Country Bank Stadium
Cowboys team: 1. Valentine Holmes 2. Kyle Feldt 3. Javid Bowen 4. Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow 5. Murray Taulagi 6. Scott Drinkwater 7. Jake Clifford 8. Tom Gilbert 9. Reece Robson 10. Jordan McLean 11. Shane Wright 12. Mitchell Dunn 13. Coen Hess 14. Jake Granville 15. Peter Hola 16. Corey Jensen 17. Heilum Luki 18. Justin O’Neill 19. Ben Condon 20. Daejarn Asi 21. Emry Pere
Warriors team: 1. Reece Walsh 2. Marcelo Montoya 3. Adam Pompey 4. Euan Aitken 5. Roger Tuivasa-Sheck 6. Kodi Nikorima 7. Chanel Harris-Tavita 8. Jamayne Taunoa-Brown 9. Wayde Egan 10. Kane Evans 11. Jack Murchie 12. Eliesa Katoa 13. Tohu Harris 14. Jazz Tevaga 15. Leeson Ah Mau 16. Bunty Afoa 17. Ben Murdoch-Masila 18. Taniela Otukolo 20. Rocco Berry 21. Sean O’Sullivan 22. Jackson Frei
WESTS TIGERS VS ST GEORGE ILLAWARRA DRAGONS
Friday, May 28 at 7.55pm AEST — Bankwest Stadium
Tigers team: 1. Daine Laurie 2. David Nofoaluma 3. Adam Doueihi 4. Tommy Talau 5. James Roberts 6. Moses Mbye 7. Luke Brooks 8. James Tamou 9. Jacob Liddle 10. Alex Twal 11. Luke Garner 12. Luciano Leilua 13. Joe Ofahengaue 14. Tom Amone 15. Shawn Blore 16. Alex Seyfarth 17. Thomas Mikaele 18. Michael Chee-Kam 19. Jake Simpkin 20. Stefano Utoikamanu 21. Kiah Cooper
Dragons team: 1. Cody Ramsey 2. Brayden Wiliame 3. Jack Bird 4. Gerard Beale 5. Jordan Pereira 6. Corey Norman 7. Ben Hunt 8. Blake Lawrie 9. Andrew McCullough 10. Paul Vaughan 11. Billy Burns 12. Tariq Sims 13. Jackson Ford 14. Talatau Amone 15. Poasa Faamausili 16. Daniel Alvaro 17. Jaiyden Hunt 18. Kaide Ellis 19. Adam Clune 20. Jayden Sullivan 21. Billy Brittain
PENRITH PANTHERS VS CANTERBURY BULLDOGS
Saturday, May 29 at 3pm AEST — BlueBet Stadium
Panthers team: 1. Stephen Crichton 2. Charlie Staines 3. Paul Momirovski 4. Matt Burton 5. Brian To’o 6. Jarome Luai 7. Nathan Cleary 8. Moses Leota 9. Apisai Koroisau 10. James Fisher-Harris 11. Viliame Kikau 12. Liam Martin 13. Isaah Yeo 14. Tyrone May 15. Scott Sorensen 16. Matthew Eisenhuth 17. Spencer Leniu 18. Mitch Kenny 19. Robert Jennings 20. Lindsay Smith 21. Izack Tago
Bulldogs team: 1. Dallin Watene-Zelezniak 2. Nick Cotric 3. Will Hopoate 4. Aaron Schoupp 5. Nick Meaney 6. Brandon Wakeham 7. Jake Averillo 8. Jack Hetherington 9. Jackson Topine 10. Luke Thompson 11. Adam Elliott 12. Matt Doorey 13. Josh Jackson 14. Bradley Deitz 15. Joe Stimson 16. Dylan Napa 17. Ava Seumanufagai 19. Kyle Flanagan 20. Corey Waddell 21. Tuipulotu Katoa 22. Renouf Atoni
SOUTH SYDNEY RABBITOHS VS PARRAMATTA EELS
Saturday, May 29 at 5.30pm AEST — Stadium Australia
Rabbitohs team: 1. Latrell Mitchell 2. Alex Johnston 3. Dane Gagai 4. Campbell Graham 5. Taane Milne 6. Cody Walker 7. Adam Reynolds 8. Jai Arrow 9. Damien Cook 10. Tevita Tatola 11. Keaon Koloamatangi 12. Jacob Host 13. Cameron Murray 14. Benji Marshall 15. Mark Nicholls 16. Hame Sele 17. Thomas Burgess 18. Liam Knight 19. Jaydn Su’A 20. Patrick Mago 21. Braidon Burns
Eels team: 1. Clinton Gutherson 2. Maika Sivo 3. Tom Opacic 4. Waqa Blake 5. Blake Ferguson 6. Jakob Arthur 7. Mitchell Moses 8. Oregon Kaufusi 9. Reed Mahoney 10. Junior Paulo 11. Isaiah Papali’i 12. Ryan Matterson 13. Nathan Brown 14. Marata Niukore 15. Shaun Lane 16. Joey Lussick 17. Bryce Cartwright 18. Haze Dunster 19. Makahesi Makatoa 20. Viliami Penisini 21. Jordan Rankin
SYDNEY ROOSTERS VS CANBERRA RAIDERS
Saturday, May 29 at 7.35pm AEST — Central Coast Stadium
Roosters team: 1. James Tedesco 2. Daniel Tupou 3. Josh Morris 4. Joseph Manu 5. Matt Ikuvalu 6. Lachlan Lam 7. Sam Walker 8. Jared Waerea-Hargreaves 9. Ben Marschke 10. Siosiua Taukeiaho 11. Angus Crichton 12. Sitili Tupouniua 13. Isaac Liu 14. Adam Keighran 15. Nat Butcher 16. Daniel Suluka-Fifita 17. Fletcher Baker 18. Tukupa Hau Tapuha 19. Naufahu Whyte 20. Egan Butcher 21. Joseph Suaalii
Raiders team: 1. Caleb Aekins 2. Bailey Simonsson 3. Sebastian Kris 4. Curtis Scott 5. Jordan Rapana 6. Jack Wighton 7. Sam Williams 8. Dunamis Lui 9. Tom Starling 10. Emre Guler 11. Corey Harawira-Naera 12. Elliott Whitehead 13. Ryan Sutton 14. Josh Hodgson 15. Iosia Soliola 16. Corey Horsburgh 17. Ryan James 18. Elijah Anderson 19. Harry Rushton 20. Brad Schneider 21. Hudson Young
CRONULLA SHARKS VS GOLD COAST TITANS
Sunday, May 30 at 2pm AEST — Coffs Harbour
Sharks team: 1. Will Kennedy 2. Connor Tracey 3. Will Chambers 4. Jesse Ramien 5. Ronaldo Mulitalo 6. Matt Moylan 7. Shaun Johnson 8. Aiden Tolman 9. Blayke Brailey 10. Aaron Woods 11. Briton Nikora 12. Wade Graham 13. Toby Rudolf 14. Braydon Trindall 15. Siosifa Talakai 16. Jack Williams 17. Andrew Fifita 18. Chad Townsend 19. Billy Magoulias 20. Franklin Pele 21. Jenson Taumoepeau
Titans team: 1. Alexander Brimson 2. Anthony Don 3. Brian Kelly 4. Patrick Herbert 5. Phillip Sami 6. Tanah Boyd 7. Jamal Fogarty 8. Jarrod Wallace 9. Mitch Rein 10. Moeaki Fotuaika 11. Kevin Proctor 12. David Fifita 13. Tino Fa’asuamaleaui 14. Erin Clark 15. Beau Fermor 16. Jaimin Jolliffe 17. Sam McIntyre 18. Esan Marsters 19. Jai Whitbread 20. Jayden Campbell 21. Ashley Taylor
NEWCASTLE KNIGHTS VS MANLY SEA EAGLES
Sunday, May 30 at 4.05pm AEST — McDonald Jones Stadium
Knights team: 1. Kalyn Ponga 2. Starford To’a 3. Enari Tuala 4. Bradman Best 5. Brayden Musgrove 6. Kurt Mann 7. Phoenix Crossland 8. David Klemmer 9. Jayden Brailey 10. Daniel Saifiti 11. Tyson Frizell 12. Lachlan Fitzgibbon 13. Mitchell Barnett 14. Connor Watson 15. Jacob Saifiti 16. Sauaso Sue 17. Brodie Jones 18. Tex Hoy 19. Josh King 20. Simi Sasagi 21. Jack Johns
Sea Eagles team: 1. Tom Trbojevic 2. Jason Saab 3. Brad Parker 4. Morgan Harper 5. Reuben Garrick 6. Josh Schuster 7. Daly Cherry-Evans 8. Taniela Paseka 9. Lachlan Croker 10. Martin Taupau 11. Karl Lawton 12. Sean Keppie 13. Jake Trbojevic 14. Curtis Sironen 15. Moses Suli 16. Zac Saddler 17. Toafofoa Sipley 18. Ben Trbojevic 19. Tevita Funa 20. Christian Tuipulotu 21. Jorge Taufua