Canberra’s next English recruit George Williams will have the same impact on the NRL as Gareth Widdop, according to fellow countryman Thomas Burgess.
Burgess will be one of seven Englishmen to take the field when South Sydney face the Raiders in Friday’s preliminary final dubbed the ‘Battle of the Brits’.
Canberra boast a total four players to have successfully transitioned from the Super League to the NRL, including 19th man and first-year forward Ryan Sutton.
Raiders second-rower John Bateman is widely considered as the buy of the season following an impressive maiden year in the NRL.
However Burgess said Bateman was no secret in their home country.
“Oh yeah. I’ve known about John for years. Obviously he debuted for us when he was 16, 17, and he was playing 80 minutes every week,” Burgess told AAP.
“I just knew he was going to represent his country in the future and if he came out here, he was always going to do well because he’s just got that fight in him.”
Bateman, together with teammate Elliott Whitehead, emerged from the same junior club as all three Burgess brothers.
“We are all very close, but even more so myself with John and Elliott because we played a few years together at Bradford,” Burgess said.
However it is a fifth Englishman the Raiders have signed that Burgess believes will wreak just as much havoc in his first year in Australia.
Canberra announced in July they had lured Williams to the nation’s capital on a three-year deal, immediately clouding the future of incumbent No.7 Aidan Sezer.
The 24-year-old Williams has so far played 10 Tests for England and was recently shortlisted for the prestigious Man of Steel award in the Super League.
Burgess likened Williams to one of the best exports from the UK in Widdop, who leaves Australia this year after 10 seasons in the NRL.
Widdop was crowned Dally M five-eighth of the year just two years ago.
“He’s in the same boat as Gareth Widdop. He could do what Gaz has done. He can really go on and do some great things,” Burgess said.
“He’s got a great running game, George. He can do some freaky things with the ball. I’m really excited to see what he can do out here.”
