The one condition in Gareth Widdop's exit from Dragons

The Dragons have granted Gareth Widdop a release to return home to the UK, but there’s one big condition. The St George Illawarra skipper will quit the NRL at the end of the 2019 season to return to his native England and join Super League side Warrington Wolves. “I’ve made a big decision in my career having decided to move back to England next year,” Widdop told the club’s website. “It certainly hasn’t been the easiest decision but sometimes in life we have aspirations
and playing in the Super League has been one of mine for a while now. “I’ve been away from home for a long time now and, growing up in Halifax, I always had dreams of playing in Super League.” “I’ve been here a long time now and to get to where we have with the roster we’ve got, to leave it all behind especially being the captain will be difficult,” he said. “I still have the 2019 season to come. “Warrington have given me the opportunity to come home and live out a childhood dream,” he said. “I’m really excited for that. It’s a long way off yet but it’s something I’m looking forward to.”

Welcome headaches and backline dilemmas for Red V

Paul McGregor once again has a roster brimming with talent. The challenge for the St George Illawarra coach is working out the right combinations between players in order to make sure he’s got his strongest side on the park. Therein lies the welcome headache — for 2019 anyway. McGregor now has Corey Norman at his disposal following the playmaker’s release from Parramatta. Norman’s signing will make the Dragons even more of an attacking threat, but his addition to the line-up means someone will miss out. The good money is on Norman slotting into five-eighth to play alongside his former Brisbane
teammate in Ben Hunt, with skipper Gareth Widdop shifting to fullback where he’s played intermittently throughout his career. With Widdop to leave at the end of the season, it would allow Norman and Hunt to form their combination a year in advance. If that’s the case, livewire fullback Matt Dufty faces the prospect of a season biding his time in reserve grade, unless McGregor finds a suitable way to use him off the bench. Nene Macdonald (North Queensland) and Jason Nightingale (retired) are no longer there, so a wing spot is up for grabs — if Jordan Pereira grabs the other. While Euan Aitken was injured last season, Zac Lomax showed last season he’s got what it takes to be a star at NRL level.