Canberra Raiders meet George Williams to finalise terms of release

The Canberra Raiders will meet with released halfback George Williams and the Rugby League Players' Association on Friday morning to finalise the terms of his release.

That will allow the Raiders to know exactly where they stand in regards to the salary cap for the rest of this season and next.

Williams was contracted until the end of the 2023 campaign, but the homesick England international has been released.

The 26-year-old requested a release at the end of the season as both he and his pregnant partner Charlotte Lewis struggled with homesickness that's been exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic.

It's believed the Williams camp were only looking for compensation for this season and nothing for next year.

The RLPA lawyer has been representing the former Raiders playmaker.

There are two English Super League clubs with the salary cap space to sign Williams for the remainder of this season - Wigan and Leeds - but Williams was yet to decide whether either of those clubs were the right option long term.

MORE RAIDERS NEWS

Once Williams' payout has been finalised, the Raiders will know exactly how much money they have remaining under this year's cap and whether it's worth trying to bring someone in for the second half of the '21 season.

They'll also be able to register contracts for next year with the money originally allocated to Williams officially freed up.

Raiders coach Ricky Stuart was happy to give Sam Williams, who was off-contract at the end of the season, his chance to run the Green Machine alongside five-eight Jack Wighton - who was in NSW Blues camp preparing for next week's State of Origin series opener.

Out-of-favour Cronulla halfback Chad Townsend was linked as a short-term option before joining the North Queensland Cowboys on a three-year deal, but that's since cooled as a possibility.

The Raiders have reportedly already knocked back an offer for a return of Brisbane five-eighth Anthony Milford, who Broncos coach Kevin Walters has dropped three times this season already.

Sharks halfback Shaun Johnson and Gold Coast playmaker Ash Taylor were two other high-profile, off-contract options.

But it's believed the Raiders weren't interested in either as a replacement for Williams.

Johnson, on the other hand, was open to a move to Canberra.

Like Townsend, he looks to be on the outer at the Sharks, who have signed Melbourne fullback Nicho Hynes on a $1.8 million, three-year deal.

They're reportedly looking to re-sign the off-contract Matt Moylan, which would make Johnson surplus to requirements.

"Shaun's exploring his options and if it's a fit with Canberra he'd certainly look at it," Johnson's manager Peter Brown said.