I can still be among best in NRL: Williams

He may be without a contract for next year, but Canterbury second-rower Tony Williams hasn’t given up on finding the form that had him rated one of the most feared forwards in the NRL.

The former Kangaroos star is having one of the leanest seasons of his career as he battles hamstring injuries and poor form that has sapped almost all his confidence.

Williams, a NSW State of Origin inclusion in 2014, admits he hasn’t delivered on the hype that landed him a lucrative deal at Belmore in 2013.

“I don’t want to use anything as an excuse. I just haven’t fired since I’ve come here,” he told AAP.

“There’s games there where I see glimpses of how I can play, but I haven’t really had a full season where I’ve been at my best.”

His star has fallen so far that the Bulldogs have opted not to renew his contract when it expires at the end of the year, with the 27-year-old resigned to looking elsewhere to play on in the NRL.

“I don’t think there’s anything there for me,” he said.

“They’ve obviously got a lot of young talent coming up. Raymond Faitala-Mariner, he’s a big talent here and he’s only 21. With the team they’ve got here, they’re going somewhere.

“I would love to stay. Any player that comes to this team wants to stay. But it’s hard when there’s a lot of talent. With contracts these days and the salary cap, it’s tough.”

However while he remains unsigned for next year, Williams hasn’t lost hope of regaining the mantle of arguably the most destructive second-rowers in the game.

With three games remaining in the regular season and a finals campaign around the corner, Williams is intent on earning another contract to stay in the NRL.

“I still reckon I could be the best and get to those Manly days when I was playing well. When I am at my best, I’m one of the best in my position,” he said.

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