‘The surgeon said it was a near miss for me’ – England captain’s worries over career and off-field life after scan shock

The stand-off star is a big part of Warrington’s title ambitions. Credit: SWPIX.COM FOR GEORGE Williams, the prospect of giving up the chance to captain England at a World Cup was the least of his worries. When scans showed how serious his neck problem was, life concerns – not just rugby league ones – hit him hard. George Williams is back playing after neck scans left him facing concerns that were bigger than rugby league. Credit: SWPIX.COM The stand-off star is a big part of Warrington’s title ambitions. Credit: SWPIX.COM Put simply, one blow in the wrong place may have left him facing a road as long as former Hull KR star Mose Masoe. The Warrington star had everything highlighted in scan results that showed just how close he was to the most severe repercussions. Sign up for the Sport newsletter Thank you! He had one choice – surgery to effectively place a cage around his C5 and C6 discs, which were impinging his spinal cord and gave him numb sensations in his arms. The prognosis meant his Wolves stint was done as he is heading back to the NRL and he could forget about leading England Down Under. more rugby league stories But he is back. And even though he has thrown himself back into action with three games in 10 days, the first of which came just 48 hours after receiving medical clearance, memories of what was laid before him by surgeon John Leach remain vivid. “It could’ve been along the same line as Mose had I not had it done,” said Williams. “Without making it sound dramatic, the surgeon said it was like a near miss for me. “We weren’t just talking about rugby stuff, this was about life stuff. It was a shock to the system. Most read in Sport BEST ONLINE CASINOS – TOP SITES IN THE UK Williams has had a huge impact since his return. Credit: SWPIX.COM “It was a heavy meeting and I came out very shocked. I went in thinking, ‘I don’t want a neck operation.’ I walked out saying,’ I need one.’ “At that first meeting, it felt like, ‘That’s my time at Warrington done and I won’t be going to the World Cup with England.’ “But then before we knew it, obviously I tracked well and the surgeon said 12 weeks is the minimum.” After four months, Williams returned and he has had an immediate impact as Sam Burgess’ men go for glory. A win at Hull FC today will keep the pressure on the top two, but while fans will see the skill, a lot of the credit should go to a simple resistance band. For that formed a huge part of the 31-year-old’s return as he added: “It involved a lot of banded work. “For the first couple of weeks, you can’t really move. Then you’re on the band, you just have that bit of resistance, even on things like nodding your head. “It was very boring and very repetitive, but if it gets you back where you want to go, then you do it. Boss Sam Burgess cannot play down how important it is to have Williams back. Credit: SWPIX.COM Williams will captain England at this year’s Rugby League World Cup. Credit: PADDYDOUGLASPHOTO “One of the first questions we asked was, ‘Is there a strength test that shows it’s OK?’ No, it’s just literally the scan results showing it had healed.” Williams has helped Warrington to wins over York, Hull KR and Huddersfield, but while it may appear to be running smoothly, all kinds of thoughts were running through his head. Not least, ‘What happens if I’m hit high?’ “We tried to replicate it in training, but in a game a different thing happens and you can create some scenarios. “So I was nervous about that first game, but just happy I got through and, touch wood, I’ve had three games with no issues. “No interruptions, no setbacks and here we are, but after three games I was tired. I think I suffered PTSD from the days we played twice over Easter! “I’d had it re-scanned and everything was fixed. It gave me a lot of confidence to come back playing. “The work had been done. The medical staff and performance staff had been brilliant. I just needed that reassurance that it was fixed after the scan and then off we went. “And I wasn’t not going to captain England at the World Cup. It’s something I’m really proud of. “Now I want to put in some performances that are worthy of being England captain.” Comment now