Warrington Wolves and England captain George Williams is reportedly in line to make a return to the NRL with the destination named.
According to reports in England and Australia, Williams is the number one target for former St Helens boss Kristian Woolf with the England skipper lined up to partner rising NRL star Isaiya Katoa.
Williams, who is contracted with Warrington Wolves until the end of the 2026 season, could even leave early but that would see the Super League club require a transfer fee, with The Daily Telegraph reporting that fee to be $400,000.
All Out Rugby League, who first broke the story, reported a fee would be involved for an early exit but that players moving to the Halliwell Jones Stadium might also be part of the deal.
According to All Out Rugby League, Warrington are ‘resigned to losing George Williams’ with the only detail to be decided being whether he leaves at the end of 2025 or the end of his contract in late 2026.
Warrington Wolves reportedly resigned to losing George Williams to the NRL
Williams is no stranger to the NRL, having played for Canberra Raiders before returning to Super League and making the move to Warrington Wolves.
That exit was somewhat messy but Williams was highly thought of during his time Down Under and it’s reported that Kristian Woolf is a big admirer of the England captain.
Another key thing to note from the initial report is that there seems to be no potential messy exit from the Halliwell Jones Stadium, with all discussions played out in the open and the relationship between club and captain labelled ‘strong’.
For the Dolphins to secure Williams before the start of the 2026 season, Wire would require a ‘substantial transfer fee’, something the Daily Telegraph claimed to be $400,000.
Warrington would also want to have a replacement ready given that an ageing Marc Sneyd and the inexperienced and injury-stricken Leon Hayes and Oli Leyland would be their only options at present.
It would be a major loss for Warrington but a massive move for Williams who would get another crack at the NRL whilst he still has some prime rugby ahead of him.
