It’s been apparent for some time, but Friday night’s derby between Wigan Warriors and St Helens showcased why these teams are Super League’s leaders in producing top-quality homegrown talent.
Of the 34 players involved in the Round 17 clash, 20 came through their respective clubs’ academies. This number increases to 21 if you include Saints academy product Luke Thompson, who played and excelled for Wigan.
Both teams are currently dealing with injuries to key players, including several overseas talents, but the 20,152 spectators at The Brick Community Stadium – and the thousands watching via Sky Sports – were treated to an absolute thriller.
Hosts Wigan edged out a 16-12 victory, leaving them six points clear of Saints and in prime position to retain the League Leaders’ Shield.
However, beyond the result, it was a fantastic evening for the English game overall, with the future of both clubs looking incredibly bright.
Below is a list of the academy products on show…
Wigan (9): Zach Eckersley, Liam Marshall, Jack Farrimond, Harry Smith, Ethan Havard, Junior Nsemba, Liam Farrell, Liam Byrne, Harvie Hill
St Helens (12): Harry Robertson, Mark Percival, Ben Davies, Jack Welsby, Jonny Lomax, George Delaney, Matty Lees, Sam Royle, Jake Burns, Jonny Vaughan, Noah Stephens, Luke Thompson*
*Playing for Wigan
Wigan Warriors duo praise academy talent on show in Friday night’s derby against St Helens
### Young Full-Backs Shine in Friday Night’s Derby Clash
The two young stars who received the most praise from Friday night’s game were both full-backs.
Teenager Harry Robertson made his senior debut for St Helens, playing the full 80 minutes with confidence. Saints head coach Paul Wellens shuffled the lineup, dropping Lewis Dodd and moving Jack Welsby into the halves, which allowed Robertson to step in.
Meanwhile, 20-year-old Zach Eckersley, named Sky’s man of the match, filled in at full-back for Wigan after just 10 minutes of practice, according to injured superstar Bevan French. French tore his hamstring in the Warriors’ captain’s run and will be out for eight weeks. Despite this, Eckersley delivered an impressive performance, scoring the winning try.
Post-match, the Oldham-born Eckersley praised his opposite number, Robertson, telling LoveRugbyLeague: “Obviously Saints came to play, and they had Harry at full-back. I think he played really well and should be proud of himself. It was his debut, and he played well. It was a good night for the sport and obviously the two clubs are good at bringing players through, which is good for the game.”
Wigan teammate Ethan Havard, still only 23 but with 87 senior appearances, echoed these sentiments. Speaking to LoveRugbyLeague, he said: “It’s good to be growing some good players and it’s nice to see some players coming through the ranks. These are players that have trained at first-team level for a while and are now coming through and taking their opportunity, just like Zach did tonight.”
Leave a Reply