England skipper George Williams’ Test ban adds frustration after league woe

GEORGE Williams has had more frustration piled on after being banned from captaining England in their first Test against Tonga.

The half back was given a one-match punishment for a late hit on St Helens’ SIone Mata’utia as Warrington lost Saturday’s play-off eliminator 16-8.

And because no other matches were already scheduled when it was handed down, the skipper’s only way out of sitting out the first clash of the series, on Sunday, October 22, is an appeal.

Williams’ suspension came after he lifted the lid on big issues that plagued Warrington’s season – the blame game and being a team.

But new Wolves boss Sam Burgess will have no problem building on what interim Gary Chambers instilled.

The half back goes from club disappointment after Saturday’s 16-8 loss at St Helens ended their Super League hopes to leading his nation in the three-Test series against Tonga.

However, he admitted the fallout from Daryl Powell’s sacking had an effect halfway through a campaign that started so well, with eight straight victories, yet petered out.

Once he arrives later this month, though, Burgess is set to sit down with each player and immediately start on developing what Chambers brought.

Williams said: “Since Gary came in, we found a way to work for each other and create a team.

“When you lose a coach, a lot of people are asking questions and blaming each other, that’s where we were at as a team.

“But we found a connection to work for each other. You can say we had a dig, but that should be a certainty really, that’s the basics when you play under-7s.

“I’m disappointed, it’s another year without winning a trophy, which hurts personally, but Sam will bring that mentality to defend and perform in games.

“He’s been having an input for about eight weeks – he’s been on Zoom, calling me, texting me. He’s mad keen.

“And he’ll be licking his lips. There’s a team there and he’ll get the best out of us.”

Williams will now reflect for a week on his and Warrington’s season before linking up with England for Tuesday and Friday ‘fallout’ training sessions.

Stars not involved in Super League’s semi-finals and Grand Final, as well as NRL-based players who went out early, will be put through their paces before the full squad gathers.

And the 28-year-old will have done some hard thinking by that time as he added: “I’ll look at everything, both collectively as I’m in Warrington’s leadership group and individually.

“But England is something to look forward to.”