Brad O'Neill's journey comes full circle as Wigan Warriors hooker prepares to face childhood idol Micky McIlorum
As the Super League Grand Final approaches, Wigan Warriors hooker Brad O’Neill is preparing for the prospect of coming up against his childhood idol, Micky McIlorum, who could line up for Hull KR at Old Trafford.
O’Neill is already fuelled for his second Grand Final appearance this Saturday, having appeared in his first in 2023 in a win over Catalans Dragons, for whom Wigan icon McIlorum featured.
The 23-year-old was forced to watch from the sidelines in last year’s Grand Final win over Hull KR due to an ACL injury, but the added twist of going head-to-head with a player he looked up to as a fan in the stands at Wigan makes the experience all the more unique.
"It is a bit weird, but it’s not at the same time,” O’Neill said on facing his childhood idol McIlorum.
"It’s a bit of a pinch myself feeling because at one time I was probably thinking that I want to be like him, and then I’m playing against him, so it’s a weird feeling, but an exciting one at the same time.
“My first Grand Final was against Micky in the win over Catalans, so I feel like I’ve had the conversation a few times about him."
O’Neill grew up as a Wigan season ticket holder and went to all the finals when he was a youngster before progressing through the famed youth ranks of his boyhood club. The first Grand Final he went to as a supporter was in 2010, when Michael Maguire’s Warriors beat rivals St Helens at the Theatre of Dreams.
"I’ve been to every one of the finals, I would say,” O’Neill smiled. “My first one was in 2010, I think I would have been seven or eight at the time, I think we were sat in the opposite end to where we are now. I remember it in 2010 with Paul Deacon, Martin Gleeson, Sam Tomkins in his yellow Nike Mercurials, and that was the time when Terry Newton had died, and Wigan were never going to lose that day. That was a big memory from the 2010 Grand Final, just my dad and I came to that one.
"When I was first coming through, Sam Tomkins was the big one that everyone loved, and Sean O’Loughlin and Pat Richards. Mark Riddell and Micky Mac were the two nines when I was watching them, and then it was just Micky after that.”
Despite still only being 23 years of age, O’Neill is already approaching the 100-game milestone for the Warriors and has already won everything there is still to win at club level, but his ambition still burns for more success.
The England international has matured a lot over his years in the first-team as he prepares to run out in his second Grand Final on Saturday.
“There are no nerves as of yet,” O’Neill said at the Grand Final media day on Tuesday.
"I feel like there will definitely be nerves, maybe on Friday or Saturday leading into it, but for myself personally, I enjoy these weeks. All the lads are buzzing in training, it’s exciting, it’s just a good feeling knowing you are going to be playing at Old Trafford and all the hard work you’ve done throughout the year.”