NRL star Gareth Widdop has signed for Warrington Wolves and says he will realise a childhood dream when he joins the English Super League club in 2020.
The 29-year-old full-back/stand-off signed a three-year deal with the Wolves after St George Illawarra agreed to release him from his contract at the end of the 2019 season on compassionate grounds.
The Dragons, who say their captain cited a desire to play in Super League and to be closer to his grandparents, have released him on condition that, if he were to return to the NRL, then it would be to the Dragons.
“It certainly hasn’t been the easiest decision but sometimes in life we have aspirations and playing in the Super League has been one of mine for a while now,” the 29-year-old said in a statement on the official Dragons website.
“The Dragons have played a big part in my career. I’ve been here a long time now and to get to where we have with the roster we’ve got, to leave it all behind especially being the captain will be difficult.
“This situation has been handled in the most professional way possible. I worked really closely with the club who have been great. We worked towards getting the best outcome and I thank the Dragons for that.
“I still have the 2019 season to come. The reason we play this game is to win premierships. We have the squad to win it this year and I’ll be doing everything possible to achieve that.”
He added: “I’ve been away from home for a long time now and, growing up in Halifax, I always had dreams of playing in Super League.
“Warrington have given me the opportunity to come home and live out a childhood dream. I’m really excited for that. It’s a long way off yet but it’s something I’m looking forward to.”
Widdop, who emigrated to Australia with his family at the age of 16, won Premiership honours with Melbourne and has spent the last five seasons with the Dragons.
Warrington chief executive Karl Fitzpatrick said: “This is arguably the biggest signing in the club’s history and quite possibly in the history of Super League.
England regular Widdop will be reunited with Warrington’s Australian head coach Steve Price, who also signed him for the Dragons in 2014.
“It says how good our competition is when a marquee player in Australia shows the desire to come and play in Super League while holding aspirations to keep playing for his country,” Price said.
Steve Franklin
Roar Rookie
English Super league is about the equal to the NRL's Reserve grade but good luck to you pom you will be missed in the Dragon's team. You are the best five-eight we have had since Trent Barratt.
Paul
Roar Guru
"“This situation has been handled in the most professional way possible. I worked really closely with the club who have been great. We worked towards getting the best outcome and I thank the Dragons for that." It's nice to see people can still sit down and thrash out issues in a proper manner. Kudos to both sides.
Nat
Roar Guru
I agree and that's why I put Widdop up in that category. That said, Norman can pull some tricks out Widdop couldn't, most likely wouldn't. But, ahhhhhh, as a Broncos fan, we were waiting for Hunt to take control like that for years. Dragons needed a quality half and he is that but a game manager? I'm yet to see it with any consistency* and I've been watching him a looooong time. *Little fudging plick had a cracker in the qtr final against the Broncos...
John
Guest
Add in, the pack Norman has been playing behind hasn't exactly been the best either, it will be interesting to see how he goes behind the Dragons pack.
BA Sports
Roar Guru
Norman has some ability to control a game. Over the last two seasons he leads the league in forced drop outs and only Green, DCE, Taylor and Smith have kicked more 40/20's. Over the same time period he is 60th in errors and when you consider 10 of the 12 players with the most errors in that time period are halves, he is controlled in that regard as well. So with the boot he can control the game to a degree and with his ball control he can do it also. But he isn't a good director of traffic and can drift out of a game. Widdop is a class above, no question, but for the money Hunt is on, he should be the one doing the organising and Norman should be allowed to support that role and play what is in front of him.
Walter Penninger
Roar Guru
I think that in 2018 he was doing too much passing and not doing enough running from 5/8 so maybe fullback will solve that.
Nat
Roar Guru
Good to have that type of back up but I would catagorise Norman as a freak and Widdop as class. There's a distinct lack of controlling 5/8s in the NRL, Green/Maloney and maybe Morgan when he comes back, Marshall but he's just a step behind pace these days. He will be a big loss for the Dragons and the NRL.
Walter Penninger
Roar Guru
Well buying Corey Norman will do the Dragons no harm and I expect he will take Widdop's 5/8 spot in the Dragons side.