Noah Hodkinson: Meet the Academy Grand Final winner with first-team ambitions after ‘dream come true’

The 18-year-old crossed the whitewash at the Totally Wicked Stadium as well as hooker Jack Purtill, alongside seven points from Jack Farrimond’s boot to help Wigan beat their rivals, who were looking to retain the title in a third consecutive Grand Final appearance.

Tom Humphreys and Oliver Garmston scored for the hosts, while Warriors back-rower Lukas Mason produced a match-winning try-saving tackle in the dying minutes to help secure the victory.

“This game meant a lot, they got one over us a few weeks ago and especially after last year as well,” Hodkinson said, with the Warriors having been ruled out of last year’s final due to an interchange error in the play-offs.

“We’ve come a long way from pre-season, we’ve worked hard and it’s hard to put into words now.

“It was a good game and a good arm wrestle. There were some points where we dominated them, but then we gave a few pressure releases away and let them back into the game a little bit. But individual efforts got us through it and we played well as a team.”

Hodkinson is one of five academy products who will join Wigan’s full-time environment from 2025, with the youngster having also trained with Matt Peet’s senior squad across the last 18 months.

The former Hindley amateur joined the Warriors for their 10-day pre-season training camp in Portugal ahead of the 2024 Super League campaign, alongside fellow young outside-back Nathan Lowe, and admits it’s a dream come true to be rewarded with a promotion.

“I’m buzzing,” Hodkinson said, who initially signed his first contract with the club’s scholarship programme in 2021.

“I’ve worked hard since I was a young boy and it’s what you dream of. For the last 18 months, I’ve been training with the first-team, a few of us have.

“I was over the moon, you can’t put it into words.

"It’s a dream come true really. Now getting into full-time training, I want to fit in and the next goal is making my debut. That’s the plan.”