Williams helping Williams as cohesion builds

They are Raiders halfbacks with the same surname but one is likely to play the majority of first-grade games for Ricky Stuart's side this year – George Williams.

The other – Sam Williams – is certain to get on the field as well, but has no idea how many times that will happen.

He played 10 games in 2019 as back-up for halves Aidan Sezer and Jack Wighton.

Now, despite Sezer's departure gone, Sam Williams will be filling the same role in 2020 for George Williams and Wighton.

But there's a twist. Since Sam has played 82 of his 90 games for the Raiders at halfback (the remaining eight have been at five-eighth) he's been instructed by Stuart to serve as a human playbook for George when it comes to Canberra's playing style.

"I'll be helping George adapt a little bit to the team and the way we do things. I've been around for a little while so I understand the way this club works and our structures on the field," Williams said.

"I'm still fighting for a [starting] position so nothing changes there but I'm getting George up to speed as well."

Stuart's faith in Sam's abilities to be George's mini-coach is testament to the Cooma-born player's standing at the club.

"I've got a good relationship with Ricky. He knows my game as well as I do," Williams told NRL.com.

"I obviously want to be playing first grade. That's everyone's aim and why we do the hard yards at this time of year.

"Whether or not that happens earlier or later in the season I'm not too sure. I've just got to make sure I'm ready to go if I get the opportunity."

Learning is a two way street for this pair. Sam is taking things from George's game while admiring the Englishman's skills first-hand rather than watching him play on television for Wigan in the Super League.

"His strength is definitely his running game. He's a really strong runner with a nice short-kicking game," Williams said of the 25-year-old Manchester product.

"You can see how and why he went so well at his Super League club.

"We're also lucky to have a bloke like Josh Hodgson who controls the ruck so well. That allows George to get a little time to find his feet and get the combinations around him going."

Sam, who extended his time at the Raiders until the end of 2022 last November, enters the new season with 94 NRL appearances to his name. All bar four of them have been for the Green Machine.