Warrington Wolves captain George Williams has insisted that he did not dive to win the penalty that would prove the difference in his side’s win over Leeds Rhinos, despite opposition coach Brad Arthur labelling it as a ‘soft penalty’.
Wire won 14-12 to progress to a first Grand Final since 2018 but the deciding two points came from Ewan Irwin’s boot after George Williams earned a penalty. Referee Chris Kendall adjudged that Leeds’ James McDonnell had ran Williams off the ball, though Rhinos boss Brad Arthur was less sure.
Speaking post-match, he said: “It is a soft penalty. Ned [McCormack] got escorted four or five times under kicks and I wasn’t expecting penalties. That is a soft penalty to decide such a big game.”
Sky Sports pundit Jon Wilkin held the same view, stating: “George Williams knows where McDonnell is, let me tell you that. James McDonnell is looking at the ball. He’s running back. It’s just such a softy and it’s not enough contact to knock George over.”
Williams and his head coach Sam Burgess were both asked about the penalty post-match and Williams was quick to defend his actions, asserting firmly that he had not dived.
“I was actually involved. It was actually me, wasn’t it? But I was running towards the ball,” he said.
“It wasn’t a massive touch but when you’re running at speed and you get a little nudge then you’re off balance.
“I’ll have to see it back but I’m just running and competing for the ball and getting knocked over. I’m not doing no dives or anything like that. It’s part and parcel of the game.”
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Warrington Wolves boss rules on crucial George Williams’ penalty
Sam Burgess explained that it was not his job to give a verdict on it, however, he maintained that Super League had created a system whereby such incidents are penalties and therefore it’s on the league.
Asked for his view on the call, Burgess said: “It’s not my job. They’ve created this system so they’ve got to live with it.
“We had one last exactly the same and it was given a penalty. We didn’t decide to challenge because no one knows.”
Burgess even admitted that when initially asked about the contentious penalty, he was unsure what incident was being refeered to.
He said: “I was questioning which penalty you’re talking about because some of them are hard to pick anyway and some of it is soft, but by the letter of the law, when you slow it down and freeze frame things, that’s a penalty. Simple as that.”
Eric T Cat
September 26, 2026 at 9:17 pm
It wasn’t so much a dive as a balletic prima ballerina dying swan swoon to the ground. For those of us old enough to remember there were strong shades of Reeves and Mortimer and “Oh Vic, I’ve fallen!”. Google it, or ask your Grandad.