DRAGONS skipper Gareth Widdop has confirmed he will depart the club at season’s end to link with Warrington in the UK Super League.
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Widdop was forced to deny reports in November that he had sought an immediate release from St George Illawarra to pursue a long-held dream of playing in his country of birth.
He assured fans that he was committed to the club for the 2019 season but the club confirmed on Wednesday that it has granted the England International star a release on compassionate grounds from the final two years of his deal.
The release is conditional on any NRL return being with the Dragons.
The largely Melbourne-raised 29-year-old said he’s always held ambitions of playing in the UK, as well as being close to family still in England.
"I've made a big decision in my career having decided to move back to England next year," Widdop said.
"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.
"The Dragons have played a big part in my career. 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.
"This situation has been handled in the most professional way possible. I worked really closely with the club who have been great. We worked towards getting the best outcome and I thank the Dragons for that.
"I still have the 2019 season to come. The reason we play this game is to win premierships. We have the squad to win it this year and I'll be doing everything possible to achieve that."