Wigan Warriors duo feature in Championship loan action as reserves win at Warrington Wolves
Wigan Warriors youngsters Finn McMillan and Harlen Smith featured in the Championship over the weekend on loan, while the reserves won at Warrington Wolves.
McMillan, who joined Wigan in the off-season on a two-year deal from Barrow Raiders, returned to the Cumbrian club for the first time since his transfer switch ahead of this campaign.
The 20-year-old started in the front-row alongside ex-Wigan prop Joe Bullock in Barrow’s 37-22 defeat to Newcastle Thunder on Saturday, having recently returned from injury.
Meanwhile, Wigan academy product Smith started on the wing for Salford RLFC in their 38-26 defeat at Sheffield Eagles on Sunday afternoon. Smith, who made his international debut for Jamaica last autumn, played his second game for Salford this season. Wigan’s loans to Barrow and Salford were one-week deals.
Elsewhere, young prop Harvey Makin is back with the Warriors after enjoying a loan spell with Barrow, helping the reserves pick up a 24-18 win over Warrington at Victoria Park on Saturday afternoon.
Makin started in the front-row alongside Kian McDermott, who was an unused sub for the first-team on Friday night in their 23-6 defeat to Warrington at the Halliwell Jones Stadium.
The reserves game was level at 12-12 at half-time, with Wigan coming out on top in the second half to run out 24-18 winners.
Young fullback Noah Hodkinson, who has made three first-team appearances this year, played on the wing for the reserves, which was perhaps for the coaching staff to see how he fared, with Liam Marshall’s hamstring injury in mind when it comes to first-team action against Bradford Bulls on Saturday.
Wigan sit top of the Reserves League table, having won six from six so far in 2026.
Warrington: Flynn Holden; Jake Thewlis, Bailey Lund, James Duffy, Lachlan Webster; Oli Leyland, Tommy Rhodes; Tom McKinney, Dan Regan, Charlie McKler, Ewan Smith, Kian Stanton, Daniel Coop. Subs: Lucas Mulqueeney, Isaac Reid, Logan Raughter, Isaac Holdsworth. 18th man: Jack Fallon.
Tries: McKler, Holden, Duffy | Goals: Leyland 3/3
Wigan: Josh Cartwright; Austin Daniel, Riley Dervan, George O’Loughlin, Noah Hodkinson; George Marsden, Charlie Yeomans; Kian McDermott, Tom Forber, Harvey Makin, Jonny Vaughan, Lukas Mason, Shea O’Connor. Subs: Jack Purtill, Kalum Rathbone, Leo Wadsworth, Lucas Fetherston. 18th man: Jaiden Drachenberg.
Tries: Marsden, Cartwright (2), Wadsworth | Goals: Hodkinson 4/5