Canberra Raiders begin search for George Williams replacement

They've already been linked with out-of-favour Cronulla halfback Chad Townsend as a temporary fix for the rest of the 2021 NRL season, but Townsend's manager poured cold water on that idea.

Sam Williams will start at halfback for the Green Machine against the Sydney Roosters at Gosford on Saturday after the club released George Williams from the final year-and-a-half of his three-year deal on Tuesday.

Williams had requested a release at the end of this year so he could return to England, having struggled with homesickness over the past 18 months.

The Raiders said they had to act in their best interests, which didn't always align with the best interests of the player, and that was why they released Williams immediately rather than wait.

They said releasing him at the end of the year would make it difficult to recruit a replacement for the 2022 season and beyond.

Williams was yet to sign the release, which was currently being examined by his management.

While player managers have already started reaching out to Canberra coach Ricky Stuart, Raiders chief executive Don Furner said they would begin looking for Williams' replacement after the Roosters game - when they have the bye ahead of the State of Origin opener.

There's a few halves off-contract at the end of the season, with Gold Coast's Ash Taylor and Cronulla's Shaun Johnson among the best options.

The Raiders also have 20-year-old Brad Schneider, who made his NRL debut against Melbourne on the weekend, as a development option.

"We'll get through this weekend's game and we'll probably have a meeting about retention and recruitment," Furner said.

MORE RAIDERS NEWS

Townsend was linked as a temporary solution for the rest of this season before he headed to join the North Queensland Cowboys on a three-year deal.

But his manager Chris Orr said if he was going to get an early release he would head to Far North Queensland rather than Canberra.

"I doubt that would happen because if he was going to leave early he was going to go up north," he said.

The Raiders released a statement to try to clarify their reasons behind releasing Williams immediately.

They stood by their version of events, with Williams' English manager asking for a release on Monday night before Williams withdrew from training and the Roosters clash the following day.

Canberra officials then released Williams immediately to allow him to return home sooner "given the stress" the situation was causing him.

The Raiders had offered Williams an extended off-season at the end of the year to allow him to return home and visit family and friends.

It's believed Williams was willing to return for the 2022 NRL season on his own, leaving his partner Charlotte Lewis, who is pregnant with their first child, in England if the Raiders couldn't find a replacement.

"George, through his management, has requested on multiple occasions a release from his playing contract at the end of the 2021 season," the statement said.

"The timing and conditions of the release suited George's personal situation and the club understood this.

"As a club, we have a duty to act in the best interests of the club, its members, sponsors and supporters.

"Sometimes the best interests of the club do not match those of an individual.

"The club therefore determined that granting George an immediate release would allow us to plan better for the club's future.

"We would like to reiterate that it was the club's overwhelming preference to keep George until the end of next season, as he is a good person, well-liked and a valuable member of our club.

"However, when this situation became untenable, we needed to act in the best interests of the club and our future."

NRL ROUND 12

Saturday: Canberra Raiders v Sydney Roosters at Gosford, 7.35pm.

Raiders squad: 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. Interchange: 14. Josh Hodgson, 15. Iosia Soliola, 16. Corey Horsburgh, 17. Ryan James. Reserves: 18. Elijah Anderson, 19. Harry Rushton, 20. Brad Schneider, 21. Hudson Young.

Roosters squad: 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, 12. Sitili Tupouniua, 13. Isaac Liu. Interchange: 14. Adam Keighran, 15. Nat Butcher, 16. Daniel Suluka-Fifita, 17. Fletcher Baker. Reserves: 18. Tukupa Hau, Tapuha, 19. Naufahu Whyte, 20. Egan Butcher, 21. Joseph Suaalii.