Wigan Warriors' latest product Liam Byrne showed his toughness - by wrestling with a broken arm!

The prop – who made a try-scoring debut against Hull FC on Sunday – was a late arrival to the academy ranks. He was offered a trial after impressing for Cadishead Rhinos as a 17-year-old.

“The first time he trained with us, we had a wrestling session and he did really well,” recalled Darrell Goulding, a member of Wigan’s coaching staff. “But then, later on, his dad called and said that Liam had broken his arm while he’d been wrestling.

“We couldn’t believe it – he’d completed the session and not said a word to anyone.”

Byrne still keeps himself to himself. And, as fans discovered on Sunday, he is still tough.

He latched on to a Sam Powell kick to score a try and caught the eye with some strong carries into an FC pack.

“It was pretty mad, really,” he said, minutes after the 23-22 loss. “I’ve been watching players like Gaz Ellis growing up and then to play against him quite surreal.”

Byrne was promoted to the senior squad at the end of last season but in terms of experience, was behind several other fringe players in the pecking order.

Yet Adrian Lam was so impressed with his application in training he brought him into his provisional 21-man squad for two matches, before handing him his chance on Sunday.

Goulding, Warriors’ transition coach, wasn’t surprised to see his attitude catch Lam’s eye.

“He was commuting from Salford and most days, he was biking to the station, catching the train, biking up to Central Park for college, then staying on for training,” he recalled.

“They were really long days but he never complained, and he was never late.

“It wasn’t long before we had a good feeling about him because of the way he applied himself. The first-team lads all respect him because he wants to learn and get better.

“He’s only 19 and he’s only played academy for two years, so I think the next few years he will really develop.

“But a lot of people have worked hard with him to get him to where he is now and so everyone was pleased he got his chance, because they’ve seen the effort he’s put in.”

As for the game itself, Byrne not only scored a try but motored through 17 tackles, and made 75 metres from his 11 carries.

“I’d been on the brink for a couple of weeks so it was good to get my chance,” said Byrne. “I was really exciting when I was told I was in – a bit nervous – but I coped with the nerves pretty well.

“It was a lot different to what I’d been used to. I noticed it more in defence, it was a lot quicker. Unfortunately we couldn’t get the win. Zak missed the kick at the end, you’d normally back him all the time, but we need to start games better – we let in some soft tries.”

Byrne, who had a fanclub of around 10 family and friends watching him from the stands, is now hoping to keep in Lam’s plans as the 2019 campaign unfolds.

“I’ve had my chance and now I’ve just got to work my socks off to keep in the team or on the edges,” he added.