Moving from one Dragons side to another, talented halfback Sam Williams has opted to leave the St George Illawarra Dragons and join French Super League side, the Catalan Dragons.
The deal will see Williams at the club until the end of the current season and at just 23, Williams has a lot to offer any side that signs him up.
The added versatility and depth to the Catalans’ halves is a bonus, with Scott Dureau still out due to a bicep injury.
“We were looking for another player to be able to do rotations and to create a good healthy competition in our halves,” said Catalans coach Laurent Frayssinous.
“Sam was looking for an opportunity. He is a talented and ambitious young player and will fit in well to our style of play.”
With some big games coming up and a demanding schedule ahead of them, the club knows just how crucial depth and talented players are, and they believe Williams fits the sort of player they were after.
“We have a tough end of season with big games at the Gilbert Brutus Stadium and we are still on course to reach our objective of qualifying for the play-offs,” said Catalans chief executive Christophe Jouffret.
“Sam will boost our squad in this crucial period and he will bring his experience to our group.”
His now former club, the St George Illawarra Dragons, explained that they would not take up the option to re-sign Williams and thus allowed him to explore other options.
“The Club had made the decision that we were not going to take up the option on Sam’s contract for next year and advised Sam and his management accordingly and at the same time, we indicated that we were not looking to limit his potential to advance his career,†said Dragons Recruitment Manager Ben Haran.
“An offer for the balance of the season from the Catalan Dragons presented itself to Sam and out of respect to Sam, the Club did not wish to stand in the way of this opportunity to play in the UK Super League each week.
“Sam is a good person, he has been great for our Club in his short time and we wish him all the best for his future and career.”
As for Sam himself, he was grateful to have the opportunity to play for the Dragons and he looks forward to the challenge of playing for Catalans.
“I’d just like to thank you all for the warm welcoming I’ve had over the past seven months here,” said Williams.
“It’s been a great privilege to play with a club that has such a great stature.”
“I’ve been given an opportunity to go to France and play with the Catalan Dragons, so I’m very excited to do it.”