George Williams hits out at media attention in Australia

George Williams has finally landed back in the UK, but it’s been a difficult time for the halfback after being the focal point of the Australian media for the past month or so.

The 26-year-old asked Canberra for a release, sparking a media outrage Down Under – something which Williams said (in an interview with BBC Sport) was “pretty mad”.

“It was pretty mad,” Williams said.

“Rugby league is a growing game over here and football is the main sport, but if you go over there, particularly in Sydney, it’s all about rugby league.

“Everybody recognises the players, it’s huge, just like a Manchester United footballer walking round Manchester.

“Any story about a player makes the front page of the papers, it makes the news; you turn the TV on and your face is all over it and we’re not used to that kind of coverage in England.”

Williams was especially frustrated at how details of his conversations with the Raiders management was leaked to the media.

“That was a shock to the system. They’ve got to tell their side of the story I suppose, but I was disappointed how some of the stuff did reach the media.

“I spoke to the club in-house, and I believe they leaked it to the media and that was disappointing.

“It was a change to be over the TV when you turn it on but that’s all over now. It’s dealt with.”