Wigan Warriors announce scholarship and academy squads for 2022 season

With Reserves grade set to return in 2022, the youth age bracket for Academy teams has been lowered from Under-19s to Under-18s.

Under-17 players also represent the Academy, with Under-16s and Under-15s making up the Scholarship squads.

Overall, there are 62 players as part of Wigan’s youth system for next year – 18 in the Under-15s age group, 19 in the Under-16s, 11 in the Under-17s and 14 in the Under-18s.

All 18 in the Under-15s group are new signings from eight different amateur clubs.

There are 15 players who have signed Academy contracts and have progressed from Scholarship.

With 37 players in the Scholarship squads and 25 in the Academy, 27 amateur clubs are represented overall.

All Scholarship and Academy players attended two separate launch nights at Robin Park Arena recently with Warriors Head Coach Matt Peet, Head of Youth Darrell Goulding and Junior Player Development Manager Shane Eccles all in attendance.

The full list for each age group in the Scholarship and Academy squads and the amateur clubs they played for and high schools they attend/attended are as follows:

Scholarship

Under-15s (new signings for 2022)

Brody Allred (Leigh Miners Rangers & Bedford High School), Cameron Bate (West Bank Bears & St Peter and Paul RC High), Finlay Yeomans (Woolston Rovers & Woolston and Lymm High), Hamza Butt (Keighley Albion & Clitheroe Royal Grammar School), Harlen Smith (Orrell St James & St Peter’s Orrell), Jaiden Drachenberg (Wigan St Judes & St John Fisher), Joey Prescott (Blackbrook & St Bedes Ormskirk), Josh Swindley (West Bank Bears & St Peter and Paul RC High), Leo Wadsworth (Orrell St James & St Peter’s Orrell), Lewis Owens (West Bank Bears & Weaverham High School), Lucas Hendry (West Bank Bears & Ormiston Bolingbroke Academy), Nathan Benson (Blackbrook & St Cuthberts), Nathaniel Twiss (Blackbrook & Kirkby Stephen Grammar), Rob Bentham (Rochdale Mayfield & Bolton School), Toby Rich (Orrell St James & All Hallows Catholic High School), Tom Bridge (Orrell St James & St Peters Orrell), Michael Porter (Orrell St James & St Peters Orrell), Vinny Arthurs (Leigh Miners Rangers & Saddleworth School).

Under-16s (second year Scholars)

Kalum Rathbone (Leigh Miners Rangers & St Mary’s RC High School), Keegan Boyd (Leigh Miners Rangers & St John Fisher), Jack Farrimond (Leigh Miners Rangers & St Mary’s RC High School), Trent Kelly-Duffy (Blackbrook & St Cuthberts), Lewis George (Halton Farnworth Hornets & Wade Deacon), Joe Tyrer (Leigh Miners Rangers & St Mary’s RC High School), Luis Houghton (Wigan St Judes & St John Fisher), Lukas Mason (Siddal & Brighouse High), Charlie Yeomans (Rylands Sharks & Lymm High), Taylor Kerr (Wigan St Judes & St John Fisher), Noah Hodkinson (Hindley & West Leigh High)

George Green (Ashton Bears & Cansfield), Nathan Lowe (Leigh East & Lowton), Kian McDermott (Wigan St Patricks & Standish), Hayden Grime (Leigh Miners Rangers & St Mary’s RC High School)

Matty Thornton (Siddal & Ryburn Valley High School), Josh Cartwright (Wigan St Patricks & Hawkley Hall), Dylan Kelly-Duffy (Blackbrook & St Cuthberts), Jack Lightbown (Westhoughton Lions & Ladybridge High)

Academy

Under-17s (new Academy signings)

Reece Kearsley (Orrell St James & St Peter’s Orrell), Maddox Jeffrey (Featherstone Lions / Heworth & Freeston Outwood Academy), George Hough (Saddleworth Rangers & Wardle Academy), Billy Myers (Bank Quay Bulls / Crosfields & Beamont Collegiate Academy), Ryan Brown (Rylands Sharks & Newman High), Joe Baldwin (Orrell St James & St Peter’s Orrell), Tom Ratchford (Leigh Miners Rangers / Wigan St Judes & St John Fisher), Sam Fulton (Kells & St Benedicts), Troy Richmond (Trinity RC College Burnley), Harry Smithers (Crosfields & St Ambrose College), Finn Rogers (Saddleworth Rangers & Saddleworth)

Under-18s (second year Academy players)

Reagan Sumner (Wigan St Judes & St John Fisher), Ethan Fitzgerald (Chorley Panthers & Holy Cross), Jacob Douglas (Saddleworth Rangers / Waterhead Warriors & Saddleworth), Zack Eckersley (Saddleworth Rangers / Waterhead Warriors & Oldham Sixth Form), Reece Bushell (Ince Rose Bridge & St John Fisher), Harvie Hill (Hensingham & St Benedicts), Harvey Makin (Wigan St Judes & Hawkley Hall)Harvey Wilson (Saddleworth Rangers / Waterhead Warriors & Saddleworth School), Max Wood (Rochdale Mayfield & Siddal Moor High School), Lewis Pinder (Wigan St Judes & Deanery), Ellis Hobson (Siddal / West Bowling & Lightcliffe Academy), , Junior Nsemba (Wigan St Judes & Deanery), Reece Stanton (Wigan St Judes & Deanery), Finn Beardsworth (Bank Quay Bulls & Lymm High)