Dec 6th, 2017

Dec 6th, 2017

The Titans are in the box seat to sign former Dragons forward Will Matthews after he quit English Super League team Widnes before playing a game for the club today.

Matthews signed for the club in September and was poised to move to Britain next week but found the move for his family too big and was released on compassionate grounds.

Matthews is now set to settle on the Gold Coast near where he was born 29 years ago at Kyogle and is expected to begin talks with the Titans.

“I would like to apologise to the staff and supporters of Widnes Vikings for any inconvenience that the cancellation of my transfer causes,” Matthews told the Vikings website.

“This decision has been made purely for family reasons, and I am sure that I will always feel an element of regret that I will not be able to play for Widnes in Super League.

"Many people have spoken highly to me about Widnes, and my interactions with its staff, both before signing the deal and since making this difficult decision, have all shown why the club holds this respect.

“For family reasons, we have chosen to move back to the Gold Coast area, where I will pursue my career.

"Whilst we were excited to move to the Vikings, we have ultimately reflected that we need to remain close to our family and support networks, which are important to us at this time.

"I signed my contract with Widnes in good faith and the circumstances we face are entirely unforeseen.

"Once again, I apologise to the club for what has been one of the hardest decisions of my life, and would like to wish the Vikings and their supporters all the best for the future.”