Canberra CEO Don Furner has revealed the Raiders had been so determined to convince George Williams to stay they had refused to consider other playmakers on the market until Tuesday’s decision to release the English halfback.
Former Dragons captain Gareth Widdop, who plays for Warrington, is understood to have been offered as a replacement if Canberra agreed to Williams’s request for a release at the end of the season.
However, the Raiders believed they could help Williams overcome his homesickness.
The dispute has now escalated into a legal stand-off as Williams insisted he wanted to play out this season but the Raiders felt that after telling them he was unable to attend training on Tuesday or play this weekend he should return home immediately.