George Williams’ fiery Grand Final war cry with Warrington captain ‘ready’ for do or die farewell
George Williams in action for Warrington Wolves in 2026
Warrington captain George Williams has ‘never wanted to win a game as much in his life’ than this weekend’s Super League Grand Final against Wakefield Trinity, which will mark his last appearance for the Wolves.
After joining them midway through the 2025 campaign as he returned to the UK following a stint in the NRL with Canberra Raiders, Williams has spent five-and-a-half years with Wire.
Having caused a stir back in 2021 when he made the decision to return to Super League by choosing Warrington over boyhood club Wigan Warriors, the half-back has made no secret of his burning desire to deliver silverware in the primrose and blue.
But despite his time at the Halliwell Jones Stadium bringing plenty of success so far, it has not yielded any honours – with defeats in two Challenge Cup finals and a Super League play-off semi-final.
Saturday evening’s Grand Final against Wakefield will mark Williams’ last chance to deliver on his promise before he returns to the NRL having agreed to join the Dolphins for 2027.
‘I’ve never wanted to win a game as much in my life, ever’
The 31-year-old was an Old Trafford winner with Wigan in 2016 and 2018, with the latter of those successes coming against Warrington.
He had tasted defeat at the Theatre of Dreams twice with the Warriors before those successes, and has publicly admitted already he would deem his time with Warrington a failure if he left without delivering their first-ever Super League title.
Speaking earlier this week at Old Trafford ahead of this weekend’s showpiece, he reiterated: “I’ve been there before (winning a Super League title), but I’ve never wanted to win a game as much in my life, ever.
“I was bold enough to say it back then (when I joined Warrington) and I’ll stand on my word.
“The goal has never changed over the last five years. We’ve missed the mark at times but now, we’ve got this opportunity. I’ve never wanted to win a game this much in my life.
“I made a commitment to myself that I’d leave with no regrets. We all know the business with the injury but once they gave me a time that I could get back, I was adamant about what was next.”
Back in April, Williams suffered a complex neck injury which required surgery and had initially looked like bringing his time as a Wire player to an abrupt end, with it not known whether he would play again in 2026.
But come mid-August, he was back on the field and hasn’t looked back.
Williams added: “I feel like I’m strong-minded in terms of when I get my mind on something, I commit hard to it. That’s my narrative – leave with no regrets.
“I was public about coming to Warrington to win and it’s fitting that in my last game, we’ve got this opportunity. I made a promise to myself that I’d maximise everything I could and hopefully, you’ve seen that at the back end of the season.
“I’ve won twice here and lost twice here. I don’t want to taste that feeling again.”
‘We’ve never been more ready to win’
A one-time Great Britain international, Williams is also England’s skipper and will add to his 24 caps for the national team at this autumn’s Rugby League World Cup.
Before that comes around though, he will attempt to guide Wire to their first league title since 1955, aiming to end a 71-year title drought which opposition fans consistently provide an unsavoury reminder of.
Williams said: “We’ve never been more ready to win. We’ve been in the big games and I think we’ve got more resilience and more connection. I know they’re words that people can just ping out, but I genuinely mean that.
“We’re a connected group and we don’t want to let each other down. Do we always get it right? No, but there’s no way anyone can ever doubt our commitment to the team and to the club.
“We’ve worked on our emotional fitness. After every six games, we review the block and talk about how we feel about one another as a group.
“There’s a lot of work that goes into it which is a culture-driven thing. I wasn’t mad into it at first, but now, I’ve really bought into it and it’s been so beneficial for us.
“We’re ready. I’m not saying we’re going to get the job done, but we’re ready to go and perform.”
