Sam Williams is juggling fatherhood and cricket with Raiders preseason training

It radiates pride, and has done ever since his wife Sarah gave birth to Archie early last month.

But there's a also mischievous twinkle in the eyes of the Canberra Raiders halfback, who is doubling up as a co-captain for North Canberra-Gungahlin in the Cricket ACT premier grade competition this summer.

Archie was born a day before Williams was due to turn out in Norths' season-opener against Eastlake at Kingston Oval.

"I have to give my wife Sarah a massive rap here," Williams says.

"We had little Archie on Friday morning at about 1am so I was in hospital for the 24 hours with Sarah, and then slid out the back door and went and played a game of cricket.

"I know it sounds crazy, but she's doing a wonderful job with Archie. I go to training and I come home of an afternoon.

"It's not until you see it up front how much mothers do for babies. And for her to let me have a game of cricket on Saturday, there's a lot of people probably shaking their heads, but I'm extremely grateful and she knows how much I get out of it.

"I've loved every bit of [parenthood]. You come home from footy training or having a game of cricket and you walk through the door and I can see the smile on Sarah's face holding him.

"Even when he's crying, it's something you don't realise how much it brings to your life until you have that kid. We're loving every bit of it."

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Williams has been juggling fatherhood and cricket captaincy with Raiders pre-season training, which has just wrapped up its third week for the NRL squad.

He played his 100^th NRL match during 2021, filling the halves breach after the sudden departure of Englishman George Williams, and was rewarded with a one-year contract extension.

Inclement weather has already washed out several cricket games early this season, and threatens to do so again on Saturday with North Canberra-Gungahlin scheduled to host ANU at a sodden Keith Tournier Memorial Oval.

But Williams has still made an instant impact in Norths' middle-order, compiling 145 runs in three innings, at an average of 72.5.

The 30-year-old grew up playing cricket in Cooma, and has been a long-time representative of the Monaro district whenever his Raiders commitments would allow it.

"My formula to batting is to try not to get out," Williams says.

"Growing up in Cooma we played cricket of a Saturday and if you got out, you didn't play again until the following Saturday. In that environment you grow a bit of a hunger for runs, you don't want to get out - you really wanted to make it count.

"In Canberra, there's two-dayers and there's Twenty20s and there's one-dayers. There's just always another opportunity to have another hit.

"I'm certainly not a reckless batter, I just enjoy trying to bat and trying to make runs. If I get out I like to think it's more because I've got a good ball than getting myself out."

Occasionally his Raiders pre-season commitments seep into his batting - such as last Saturday when he was run-out well short of his ground for 70.

There was a particularly strenuous training session in the morning with new trainer Jeremy Hickmans, before Williams ditched the footy boots for the pads and went out to face Ginninderra's bowling attack.

"It's funny. I copped a little bit of stick last week, I was batting there and my body was starting to get a little bit tired so I had to knock back a few of the quick singles just because it had been a big day," Williams said.

"They [the Raiders] are pretty good with it. It's not something I can just lock in from October, November and play through to March.

"There's certainly weekends I can't play and after Christmas I'll play a hell of a lot less than I do before Christmas. I grew up in an environment and one of the things mum and dad always taught us was what team sport could provide.

"In a town like Cooma, the mates and the people you meet through team sport, I don't think it can compare to anything else. I just love going out and being able to play on a weekend with your mates."

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