The Dolphins’ reported signing of UK half George Williams for 2027 has come into question amid the club’s scorching form.
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Outside of the Panthers, who are the comp’s runaway leaders at the midway point of the season, the Dolphins are the hottest team in the NRL.
Six straight wins has the Phins airborne. Not only that, but their two losses prior were to the Warriors and aforementioned Panthers by a combined three points.
A huge reason for their ascent up the ladder this season is the combination of their halves Isaiya Katoa and Kodi Nikorima.
Katoa is the club’s long-term halfback while Nikorima doesn’t have a contract beyond this season.
Instead, reports indicate that the Dolphins have signed Super League star and former Raiders half Williams for next year.
It means Nikorima’s NRL career is in limbo, although coach Kristian Woolf hinted during a post-match press conference that the club are trying to work out an extension.
There’s a lot of water to go under the bridge before next season, but NRL360 host Braith Anasta believes it would be “crazy” if the Dolphins replaced Nikorima with Williams in the halves.
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“I find this fascinating. The way he’s playing, the combination he has with Katoa and they’ve had that combination now for a long time and they’re actually getting better … I shouldn’t imagine he’s going to cost them top dollar. It’ll be decent but not top dollar,” Anasta said.
“George Williams is not the best player in the Super League and no disrespect to the Super League but it doesn’t compare to the NRL, especially in the halves. We’ve seen that. I find that crazy they would go with Williams over Nikorima.”
Foxsports.com.au’s Paul Crawley agreed.
He wonders why the Dolphins haven’t done everything they can to re-sign the crafty Nikorima.
“They’re a very good side. They’ve got good depth. They’ve got tough forward, speed in the backs. I was watching last week and you’ve watched him every week, Kodi Nikorima for the life of me I just can’t work out why they don’t want to re-sign him,” Crawley said.
“Isaiya Katoa gets a lot of recognition and rightly so but Kodi Nikorima is not far off their second or third-most important player.
“He seems at 32 to have hit that sweet spot in his career.”
Interestingly, while it’s widely believed a deal is done, the Dolphins are yet to confirm the Williams signing.