Canberra have announced the shock release of halfback George Williams from the rest of his NRL contract after he failed to show up to training on Tuesday.
The homesick Englishman had repeatedly asked for a release from his contract at the end of the 2021 season, but the Raiders drew a line in the sand by pulling the trigger immediately.
After missing the training session, Williams phoned the club to say he would not be up to playing against the Sydney Roosters on Saturday.
The Raiders had attempted to manage Williams' delicate situation so he could play out the rest of the season.
However, he continued to express feelings of isolation while on the other side of the world from his family.
Williams' partner Charlotte is also pregnant and the couple want to be with family in England when the baby is born.
While recognising the personal struggle Williams is facing, the Raiders finally found the situation untenable.
"George and his partner have asked on a number of occasions for a release to return to England to be closer to their families and we've decided to grant their request," said Raiders chief executive Don Furner.
"George withdrew from training today and from the game this weekend which highlighted to the club the seriousness of George's request.
"Over the past several weeks we have supported George and provided him with the best welfare support we could, however as a club we felt that his position at the club moving forward became untenable."
The move allows both the Raiders and Williams to plan for the future, with Sam Williams named at halfback to play the Roosters.
The Raiders can now use the salary cap space freed up by the remainder of Williams' contract for the rest of the season, as well as his salary for 2022.
Williams joined the Raiders at the start of 2020 on a three-year deal after the club paid a hefty transfer fee to lure the Wigan Warriors champion.
