Wigan Warriors legend pays classy tribute to retired Willie Isa: ‘All the boys look up to him’

Isa, 36, leaves the Cherry and Whites as a three-time Grand Final winner to take up a new opportunity away from rugby league, despite signing a 12-month contract for the 2025 campaign.

The Auckland-born forward enjoyed nine years at the Warriors after joining from Widnes Vikings for the 2016 season, and also won a World Club Challenge and three League Leaders’ Shields.

Former Wigan captain O’Loughlin has labelled Isa as a ‘no-nonsense’ player who ‘will be missed’ at the Brick Community Stadium, with the pair having tasted glory together at Old Trafford in 2016.

“He’s just a very, very good bloke,” former England skipper O’Loughlin said.

“He’s been a fantastic player for us. He’s brilliant on the field, but he’s been massive for the culture of the club and the standards.

“You obviously want to be a great team on the pitch, but you want to be known as a good club as well and he ticks both sides of that for us.

“He drives standards very highly, and all the boys look up to him. He’s going to be missed, but on the other side, the boys are buzzing for him that he’s found something that he wants to do and wants to test himself in another field.”

Isa, who started his career in the NRL with Penrith Panthers and Melbourne Storm before switching to England with Castleford Tigers, played 209 times for the Warriors, scoring 17 tries.

He will say goodbye to Wigan fans when the reigning champions open the new Super League campaign at home to Leigh Leopards on Thursday, February 13.

O’Loughlin continued: “He was a no-nonsense player, give him the ball and he’d run hard.

“He’s probably one of the best defensive back-rowers that I’ve played with. He’s quick, he moves well, and he was someone who taught that really well to our younger lads as well.

“He worked hard with our edges to get them up to standards with that.

“He was a pleasure to play with.”