This is the tenth instalment of 2020 in review. As is the tradition, now the Raiders' season is over, we are reviewing all 32 players who pulled on a green jersey this year. So far, we've looked at Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, Jordan Rapana, Jarrod Croker, Curtis Scott, Nick Cotric, Bailey Simonsson, Semi Valemei, Michael Oldfield and Jack Wighton.
The Raiders decided early in 2019 that they needed to move in a different direction at half back. Wigan's English representative George Williams was very deliberately targeted, with the aim of lifting the threat on offer in the halves. The negotiations took an age, with the Raiders having to fork out a large transfer fee to his English club. But the Raiders eventually got their man. Aidan Sezer, who had helped take Canberra to a Grand Final, was eventually released to English club Huddersfield.
George Williams is not a traditional organising halfback. Since 2015, he'd been playing primarily at five eighth with the Wigan Warriors. He had the reputation of being more of a runner with a good short kicking game. Many questioned coach Ricky Stuart's strategy of having two "running halves". As it turned out, the rule changes introduced when the season resumed in Round 3 - aimed at speeding the ruck and the pace of the game - suited that strategy. And, after dominant play maker, Josh Hodgson was sidelined mid season with an ACL injury, George Williams turned out be pretty darn good at steering the team around.
He finished the year with a share of the 2020 Canberra Raiders Fans' Choice Player of the Year award, along with Josh Papalii, Jack Wighton and Elliott Whitehead. He was also voted the Fans' Choice Player of the Finals... and if you're a person who like to include the finals in the player of the year voting, he would have emerged the winner overall.
I rated him 6.9/10 on average through the year, with his rating impacted by an early departure from the field in Round 19. The only match he was missed was the Round 20 contest with the Sharks, when many of the regular staters were rested. I rated him an "8" in five games (Round 1 V Titans, Round 3 V Storm, Round 4 V Knights, Round 14 V Broncos, Finals Week 1 V Sharks). He won "man of the match" honours in Fans' Choice voting in three matches (Round 3 V Storm, Round 14 V Broncos, Finals Week 3 V Storm). For mine, his best match came in Week 1 of the finals against the Sharks. His two tries helped turn the match, his intercept try just before half time putting the Raiders right back into the contest. He posted 93 running metres, one line break, one try assist, one intercept, three tackle breaks, 177 kicking metres, 26 tackles and 93 per cent tackle efficiency.
Williams finished the season with seven tries, behind only Nick Cotric and Jack Wighton at the club. Only Nathan Cleary scored more tries (8) amongst the NRL half backs. He ranked first at the Raiders for try assists, and amongst the top five regular half backs in the NRL. He was second at the club for line break assists and total try involvements, behind Jack Wighton.
A lot of Williams' try assists were the result of his pin point short kicking game. He kicked more than any player at the club, and was second to Jack Wighton for kicking metres - with Wighton taking primary responsibility for the long kicking game. He produced 19 forced line drop outs, behind only Nathan Cleary (26) and Adam Reynolds (20) amongst the regular NRL half backs. His kick errors were low by the standards of his NRL peers.
Williams is certainly a half who can tackle. We found that out early, when he dumped Ryan Papenhuyzen on his back in the Round 3 win over the Storm. No regular half back in the NRL had a better tackle efficiency rate. With six try causes and 11 line break causes, he was way down the list of NRL half backs in those departments. His error count was lower than the likes of Mitch Moses, Mitchell Pearce, Adam Reynolds and Nathan Cleary.
George Williams had a very fine first season in the NRL. I don't think Raiders coach Ricky Stuart, or Raiders fans, could have asked much more of him. He did particularly well in taking on more responsibility for play making in the second half of the season. The challenge for coach Ricky Stuart in 2021 will be to get the spine working together when Josh Hodgson returns.
How did you rate George Williams' 2020? Tell us below.
George Williams' 2020: 8/10
2020 Statistics: (Stats from Fox Sports Lab)
Games: 22
Average minutes: 77
Points: 29
Tries: 7
Field goals: 1
Try assists: 17
Try contributions: 4
Total try involvements: 28
Total kicks: 195
Kick metres: 5033
Average kick metres per match: 229
40/20's: 0
Forced drop outs: 19
Kicks dead: 5
Kick errors: 6
Total runs: 107
All run metres: 1017
Average metres per carry: 9
Average metres per game: 46
Tackle breaks: 37
Offloads: 11
Line breaks: 7
Line break assists: 10
Tackles: 431
Average tackles per game: 19
1 on 1 tackles: 53
Missed tackles: 34
Average missed tackles per game: 1.5
Ineffective tackles: 23
Tackle efficiency: 88 per cent
Try causes: 6
Errors: 21
Penalties conceded: 4
