From teen dad to Wigan Warriors leader: How fatherhood helped bring best out of Brad O'Neill - on and off the pitch
Despite still only being 23, Wigan Warriors star Brad O’Neill has already achieved more than some players will in their entire career – Challenge Cup triumphs, Super League glory and a World Club Challenge win.
But beyond the medals and winners’ rings, it is the off-field transformation that perhaps tells the most fitting story of the Wigan hooker – becoming a father to Arabella when he was just 19 years old in 2022.
O’Neill came through the famed youth system of his boyhood club and is already closing in on 100 appearances in cherry and white following a stellar start to his professional career. But the turning point – both in his rugby league journey and personal life – came just two days before one of the biggest games of his life.
"It was two days before the Challenge Cup semi-finals in 2022, it was crazy but I wouldn’t change it for the world,” O’Neill recalls of the moment his daughter Arabella was born. “She makes me so proud, and hopefully I can continue to make her proud.”
Whilst most 19-year-olds are still finding their feet in early adulthood and the big wide world, O’Neill was juggling fatherhood with the pressures of elite sport. For some, it could have been overwhelming, but for O’Neill, it became his why.
“I feel like the experiences I’ve had at such a young age have almost accelerated the growth in terms of maturing into the player I am now,” he continued. “Probably things away from the field as well, like becoming a dad at a young age, probably helped me grow up quicker than most teenage lads.”
The maturity of O’Neill now shines through his leadership at Wigan. No longer just a promising youngster, O’Neill is now a key figure in Matt Peet’s squad and one of the first names on the teamsheet.
“I think I probably broke into the first-team when I was 18 or 19 and in the first couple of years, playing under Sam Powell at the start, then he left and I got the starting jersey,” O’Neill explained. “It was just about getting experience and learning week in, week out. Even though you’ve got the starting shirt, you are still finding your feet.
“It’s just exciting. That combination of on-the-field and off-the-field experiences has led me to mature earlier.”
And at the heart of it all is his beloved Arabella, who is now a regular at Warriors games along with Brad’s partner Alice.
"Arabella is loving it now, always asking about coming to the games,” O’Neill smiles. “She has got her favourite player in Pati Mago, who she loves, and she’s just enjoying these experiences. That’s what makes me proud, the fact that I can give her those experiences week to week. It’s not always about the big games, but it makes it more special that she can be here and I can bring her to these big games.”
Of course, none of it would be possible without the support mechanism of those around him, particularly from his partner Alice, mum to Arabella.
“Alice has been really good with it,” O’Neill says gratefully. “There have been some big games and she’s had to be with the baby more than myself, so she has been holding the fort down at home being the great mum she is. She helps me as well when I’m training and playing – she’s been great with it all.”
Meanwhile, O’Neill is preparing to grace the hallowed turf at Old Trafford on Saturday as he gears up for his second Grand Final appearance, with the Warriors facing Hull KR, looking to lift the Super League trophy for a third year in a row.
And the Leigh-born hooker will have an army of support at the Theatre of Dreams from those closest to him.
“I think I’ve got about 20 plus coming to the game,” O’Neill added. “I’ve got a big set of family and friends who are all really supportive, and that’s not just for the finals – they are there each week at the Brick, I have 20 people coming to every game. They are all really supportive, passionate family members and friends, so I’m really happy that I’ve got that family base around me.”