I’m a Super League star in line to become England captain but I had a huge shock early in my career after cancer scare
GEORGE WILLIAMS is a Super League star living the dream – a world away from the nightmare which left him shattered when he was still a teenage sensation.
Williams has been the stand-out star behind Warrington Wolves’ eight-from-eight start to the season, which has sent them shooting four points clear already.
The half back has a new contract in his pocket, is hot favourite to replace the retired Sam Tomkins as England skipper and on Friday aims to gun down Wigan Warriors in a top-of-the-table showdown.
Yet when Williams, 28, was cutting his teeth with his hometown Warriors, his world fell apart after a routine scan led to a cancer scare and immediate surgery.
A mind-numbing moment for anyone, but for a fit-as-a-fiddle teenager breaking through at rugby league’s most famous club, almost impossible to take in.
Williams revealed: “I had been having a bit of discomfort so went to see the Wigan doctor, Chris Brooks, who sent me for a scan. It was just precautionary, nothing more.
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“But they found a lump and I went in for the operation. I’d just got into the team so obviously it was a huge shock.
“I went through all the emotions…shock, upset, worry. At 19 you never consider anything like that. You’re fit and healthy but maybe being a bit naïve at that age helped in a way.
“Fortunately it turned out that it was benign and wasn’t cancer, but it was a real tough period. I was just so grateful nothing came of it.
“I had about two months off and then my first game back was for Wigan in the 2014 Grand Final because Micky McIlorum got injured.”
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While there was no happy ending in that Old Trafford final, Williams has hardly looked back since.
Two Grand Final wins and a World Club Challenge victory led to a big-money move to Aussie giants Canberra Raiders, where he had an outstanding season.
But after just one season, and with girlfriend-now-wife Charlotte pregnant, he was desperate to return home, and Warrington pounced.
His debut campaign with the Wolves was stuttering to say the least, as Super League’s eternal bridesmaids had a shocker and finished just one place off the foot of the table.
It sparked rumours coach Daryl Powell would be axed after just 12 months, and that Williams would cut and run.
Instead Wolves owner Simon Moran stood by Powell, Williams was happy to stick with the club…and the reward has been their finest start to the Betfred-backed competition.
Williams insisted: “Last year the environment wasn’t brilliant and it seemed the harder we tried, the tougher it got. Nothing seemed to work.
“But this time there’s been a new energy, everyone’s bought into it and it’s like we’ve turned over a new leaf.
“Daryl is very honest, and even though we’re winning, it’s not all pats on the back. But after we’d won four or five on the spin, everyone started believing even more.”
That loyalty was a key reason why Williams was so willing to extend his contract until 2026 earlier this week, despite offers to return Down Under to the NRL.
He added: “I didn’t leave Australia not on perfect terms, did question if I had unfinished business there and had a lot of interest, but I love it at Warrington.
“Even last year, when results weren’t as good, the club have always been great to me and I want to do right by them.
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“We know we’ll lose at some stage, but I’d be lying if I said we weren’t confident in every game now.
“Last week we had a great win over Catalans against a lot of adversity and now it’s Wigan, which is as big as it gets…it’s a huge game and we’ll keep riding the wave as long as we can.”