Warrington Wolves captain George Williams could have played his last game for the club and is set for neck surgery, head coach Sam Burgess has revealed.
Williams is in his final year of his contract with the Wolves, who he joined back in 2021, and is confirmed to be returning to the NRL for 2027 with the expectation he is heading to the Dolphins.
The Warrington and England captain suffered the injury during Warrington’s loss against Catalans Dragons in France last week.
Burgess confirmed to Sky Sports ahead of Warrington’s 23-6 victory over Wigan on Friday that Williams will be getting surgery within the next fortnight and after their victory, he expanded on the injury and explained that there is a varying recovery time ranging from three months to a year.
With just over five months remaining in the Super League season, it is therefore not known if Williams will wear the primrose and blue again.
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Sam Burgess said he was proud of how Warrington Wolves defended together after ‘tough’ Wigan Warriors clash in the Super League.
“It is quite a sensitive issue with his neck. We are mindful of that and are not going to rush anything. He will need surgery,” Burgess said.
“You have to be really mindful, and we have to make good decisions for him and his long-term health.
“We’re not going to rush him, he’ll need surgery on it and it’s then how he recovers.
“Never say never [on Williams playing his last game for Warrington], but I guess time will tell.
“It’s not a definitive recovery, it can range from three-to-four months to, in some cases, 12 months.
“Alex Walmsley had a similar surgery and it was 12 months, but I think there was a bit more damage there.”
What does this mean for England?
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Brian McDermott says he is proud of being England’s new head coach and has a plan for World Cup success.
The injury for Williams also throws a spanner in the works for newly appointed England head coach Brian McDermoot who confirmed in his first interview in the role that he would keeping Williams as England captain.
“I think George does a tremendous job,” McDermott said.
“He’s really good. I admire him, I’ve watched him from a distance. I have never really had anything to do with him other than coach against him.
“I don’t have any intentions of changing the captaincy.”
Now, with Williams in a race to be fit, not only for his club but for a World Cup in Australia starting in October, McDermott could be forced into his first big call of the job depending on the half back’s recovery time.
2026 Super League – key dates and what to look out for
- Super League in Paris: Sat Jun 6: Catalans Dragons vs Wigan Warriors (Paris), 6.30pm UK (Sky Sports)
- Magic Weekend: July 4-July 5
- Rivals Round reversed: July 23-July 26
- Elimination Play-offs: September 19-September 20
- Play-off semi-finals: September 26-September 27
- Grand Final: October 3, Old Trafford.
Sky Sports will again show every game of the Super League live this season – including two matches in each round exclusively live, with the remaining five matches each week shown on Sky Sports+