17 January 2024 , 19:20
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After being an NRL Grand Final winner and England star, Gareth Widdop admits it's bizarre now preparing to play for part-timers Halifax.
He’s featured with Aussie legends Cameron Smith and Billy Slater at Melbourne Storm, shone alongside Sam Burgess and Kevin Sinfield for England and graced Super League. But the 34 year-old reckons there’s no better way to round off his glorious career than running out with his hometown club. Widdop, who emigrated Down Under aged 12, retired after leaving Castleford in October.
However, Championship outfit Halifax announced just before Christmas they’d captured the former Great Britain star for one last hurrah after years of speculation. Widdop, who could debut in Sunday's friendly at Keighley, admitted: “I’d had that question [are you joining Halifax?] asked a million times, especially the last couple of years when I’ve been back living here.
“This opportunity popped up last minute and I just thought ‘why not?’ It’s my hometown, something that means a lot to me. It’s where I grew up and all I wanted to do as a kid was play rugby league for Halifax. I’m sure my grandparents, who are massive Halifax fans, will be happy when I do get out there with that shirt on.
“I’m just a boy from Halifax at the end of the day. To end up here is a bit of a fairytale. I can say I’ve pretty much done it all in the game now. But it’s a little surreal at the moment.”
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Widdop had three months back in Oz after leaving Cas but is now fully immersed in training with Liam Finn’s side. And Halifax’s part-time players certainly aren’t star-struck by the new arrival. He said: “As you can imagine, you walk straight in and have the pi*s taken straight out of you.
Gareth Widdop, right, with new boss Liam Finn after signing for Halifax (PIC courtesy of Halifax Panthers RLFC)“It’s been a really good crack. I’ve a huge amount of respect for those guys who go out and graft all day and then turn up at night to train. What they have to put themselves through, it’s certainly been an eye-opener for me.”
Widdop, who also starred with St George-Illawarra before joining Warrington in 2020, said: “I had some personal things to deal with over in Australia. I really enjoyed being back over there for 12 weeks. I switched off. I’ve been doing this for 16 or 17 years now so it was good to get away from it.
“I wasn’t sure when I’d be back in the UK. But once I had my dates, this all happened pretty quickly. Being part-time allows me to still do other things away from the game. At the same time, though, I’d be able to help the club grow again and help the town, too. Hopefully I can do that.”