Alphabet dream team: Best Super League XIII with names beginning with W

We create alphabetical dream teams from all the players in the Super League era.

It is now time for a dream XIII from all the players whose last name begin with W…

1 Paul Wellens

A former England and Great Britain full-back, Wellens, 41, achieved real success as a one-club man, having made just shy of 500 appearances for St Helens over an 18-year period. He retired in 2015 with five Super League titles, five Challenge Cup winners medals, two World Club Challenge wins and a Man of Steel award to his name, and was recently appointed as part of England boss Shaun Wane’s backroom team. 

2 Brent Webb

Primarily a full-back, it would be harsh to omit someone of Webb’s quality! The Kiwi international joined Leeds from the New Zealand Warriors in 2007 and helped the club to three Super League Grand Final triumphs before his exit in 2012. Webb spent the later years of his career at Catalans and announced his retirement in 2014.

3 Chev Walker

One of the most acclaimed centres in the English game, Walker started his career at hometown club Leeds and went on to win a Super League Grand Final and World Club Challenge with the Rhinos. Having made almost 200 appearances for the club, the now 38-year-old joined Hull KR and then Bradford before hanging up his boots at the end of the 2015 season. 

4 Kallum Watkins

Watkins, 30, spent the majority of his career at Leeds before moving to the NRL to join Gold Coast Titans in 2019. He returned back home in 2020 on compassionate grounds before joining Toronto Wolfpack later that year. The England international left the Canadian outfit without playing a game after they ran into severe financial difficulties, and has since been plying his trade for Salford.

5 Rhys Williams

Williams has enjoyed top flight rugby for a number of Super League clubs, including Warrington, Crusaders and most recently Salford. Up until now, the 31-year-old has made a total of 27 appearances for the Red Devils, scoring nine times. He is also a Wales international and will hope to be part of John Kear’s World Cup squad later this year.

6 George Williams

For someone with such experience, it is worth noting that Williams is still only 26 years of age! The Wigan-born half-back spent seven years at the Warriors before testing himself in the NRL with Canberra. He has won 11 caps in total for Great Britain and England.

7 Gareth Widdop

After moving to Australia at the age of 16, Widdop spent several years with Melbourne Storm and St George Illawarra Dragons, establishing himself as one of the NRL’s most dependable half-backs. He walked away from the remainder of his deal with the Dragons to join Warrington ahead of the 2020 season, and although there has been much speculation about his future, the England international, and his head coach Steve Price, will be hoping his fine form for the Wolves this season will earn him a place in Shaun Wane’s England squad later this year.

8 Alex Walmsley

Walmsley, 31, began his career in the lower leagues and secured his big break off the back of a successful trial period with Championship side Batley in 2012. Having won Championship Young Player of the Year during his sole season at the Bulldogs, Walmsley joined St Helens in 2013 and has gone on to make over 200 appearances for the club, helping the Saints secure three Super League titles during the intervening period. He has also been capped five times by England, scoring once, and made four appearances for the Great Britain Lions.

9 Lincoln Withers

At the age of 28, Withers’ arrival in Super League came during the prime years of his career. The Canberra-born hooker and half-back was released from the final year of his contract at his hometown club to join Crusaders in 2009. He made 71 appearances for the Welsh outfit and 42 more for Hull KR before announcing his retirement from professional rugby at the end of 2013.

10 Liam Watts

Watts is one of a select group of players to have made the move from Hull KR to fierce cross city rivals Hull FC. He won two Challenge Cups with the Airlie Birds during his time at the club, before joining Castleford on a three-year deal in 2018. Having signed a long-term deal with the Tigers less than two years ago, the 30-year-old England international will likely link up with former coach Lee Radford in 2022 after his appointment as Castleford boss was confirmed last month.

11 Elliott Whitehead

Whitehead, 31, shows no signs of slowing down as he continues to become a mainstay of NRL side Canberra Raiders, starting every one of their games so far in 2021. The Yorkshire-born second-rower honed his craft at Bradford and Catalans before moving Down Under in 2016. He has made 20 appearances for the England national team, as well as being capped three times by Great Britain. 

12 Ben Westwood

Westwood spent the majority of his career at Warrington, joining the club in 2002 at the age of 20. He scored 138 tries in 479 appearances for the Wolves, enjoying 18 successful seasons there and lifting the Challenge Cup on three occasions. Prior to announcing his retirement in 2019, the back-rower’s no-nonsense approach to the game also yielded 26 caps for the England national team between 2004-13.

13 Jon Wilkin

Wilkin, 37, is another player who established a great legacy through his commitment to one particular club – St Helens. Capable of operating across a number of positions, Wilkin made more than 400 appearances for Saints and was a key figure in their treble-winning team of 2006. Upon leaving St Helens, the England and Great Britain international helped Toronto Wolfpack secure their first ever promotion to Super League in 2019.

Alphabet dream teams:

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | J | K | L | M | O | P | R | S | T | V

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