YOU WILL not find George Williams huffing and puffing if he is asked for photos with young fans on the street – he was once the young kid doing the asking.
The Wigan ace is on the cusp of super-stardom after establishing himself as one of their stars and is likely to be one of England’s World Cup squad.
Rugby league chiefs introduced a second marquee player clause in salary cap rules, which is called by some ‘the George Williams rule’.
Sure enough, the Warriors used it to secure his future on a long-term deal to stop him being swiped by either rugby union or the NRL.
But do not think there are any delusions of grandeur now he has taken his place among the sport’s elite, Williams still has the same attitude he had when he was a starstruck young fan.
“I just embrace it,” the 22-year-old stand-off said. “But it’s still quite strange really.
“It’s part and parcel of playing rugby and a lot of kids in Wigan want to be where I am.
“Even when I’m out doing the shopping, I’m always nice to the kids because once that was me. I was going up to Wigan players asking for photos and autographs once.
“Trent Barrett was my favourite when I was a kid, also Kris Radlinski – so it’s a bit strange speaking to him every day now as he Wigan’s rugby manager.
“It wasn’t just at games, it was everywhere. I’ve got loads of photos with Kris and one with Harrison Hansen when he played at Wigan.
“When I first got into the first team, he was in it and I went up to him and showed the picture. It was quite strange really.
“I was I that position once, so I appreciate it. It’s strange but I enjoy it.”
This will be Williams’ first experience of playing at Wembley and he admits it will be ‘very special’.
He has been told by his grandfathers what the national stadium is like, what effect seeing Wembley Way and the atmosphere inside the ground can have on players.
But even the performance of his life may not be enough for coach Shaun Wane, who insists he can get better and described him as ‘way off’.
Even he knows what will happen if he scores a hat-trick but drops a kick, that drop will be mentioned.
However, Williams now realises that the moans and groans are for his own good as he can really become one of the best.
He added: “I’m still learning. Shaun is a tough taskmaster but he’s only going to make me a better player.
“At first I didn’t get it, he was quite harsh with me but I get it now. He just wants the best out of me and I do now.
“It’s just the little things he wants me to do better. He’s my toughest taskmaster, if I do 10 good things in a game and one bad one, I know about the bad one.”
Williams knows all about Wembley without having played there, which cannot be said of team-mate Frank Paul Nuuausala.
He did not know how special a place it is until he broke England’s hearts with New Zealand in that epic World Cup semi-final in 2013.
Shaun Johnson dived over for the last gasp winning try, all the while the Kiwi prop was just getting to grips with what Wembley is.
Nuuausala said: “I remember going there and I just thought it was just a soccer team’s ground, I didn’t realise how big it was and that it was the national stadium!”
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