NextGen: Meet the ‘special’ Wigan Warriors prodigy ready to push their superstars for a starting spot

Jack Farrimond is rated very highly at Wigan Warriors and is being tipped for a bright future at the highest level of the game.

Having progressed through the Cherry and Whites’ vaunted youth development system, the 18-year-old scrum-half made his senior debut in the 60-22 victory at London Broncos earlier this season.

With Jai Field currently sidelined with a hamstring injury, Farrimond could now be handed further opportunities to shine at first team level.

Here, Love Rugby League details the talented teenager’s background and assesses his potential..

Background

Farrimond hails from Leigh and cut his teeth at renowned amateur club Leigh Miners Rangers. He began playing rugby league aged five and his father Tom, an ex-Leigh Miners player, has been a major influence on his development.

Wigan’s academy head coach John Duffy told Love Rugby League: “I’ve known Jack’s family for probably 20 years.

“His dad was an amateur player at Leigh Miners and coached Jack’s team from when they were six years old to all the way through.

“They had a bit of a super team at Leigh Miners at that age and all their players kind of scattered everywhere from there to different clubs.

“I’ve known Jack from a very young age, with me coaching over at Leigh (Leopards) and seeing young kids come through in the area.

“You always knew Jack was going to be something special and I got the chance to work with him last year when I joined the coaching staff at Wigan.”

Farrimond grew up in a family of Leigh supporters before being snapped up by Wigan and handed his first contract with the Warriors scholarship programme in 2022.

The 2023 season proved a breakthrough year for the teenager, who underlined his rich promise with a series of outstanding performances for the academy and reserves sides.

He scored 11 tries and 71 goals in 12 starts for the academy side and was also a regular for the reserves as they went on to win the 2023 Reserves Grand Final.

Farrimond was named the 2023 Academy Player of the Year – winning the Edwards-Johnson Memorial trophy – before being promoted to the first team squad last winter.

A standout for Lancashire in their Academy Origin win over Yorkshire in 2023, the goal-kicking playmaker was also called up to England’s Academy squad ahead of their fixture against France last July – although he missed out on selection.

Farrimond spent 10 days in Portugal with Peet’s first team squad earlier this year, allowing him to acclimatise to life with the senior side.

He then enjoyed impressive try-scoring displays for Matt Peet’s side in their friendlies against Wakefield Trinity and Hull FC before making his first team debut against London in March.

Duffy summed up Farrimond’s progress last year, saying: “Jack had an injury in the pre-season of 2023 when I first joined.

“We progressed him through that and he had an unbelievable first season in the academy last year. He absolutely killed it but he’s so grounded due to his family background and the influence of his mum and dad.

“He doesn’t allow himself to get ahead of himself and always wants to work hard.”

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Style of play – ‘Unbelievable vision for such a young lad’

Although diminutive in stature, Farrimond’s rugby league ability is clear to see.

His kicking game, vision, strong organisational and handling skills make him capable of producing game-changing and match-winning plays.

Training with the likes of Field, Bevan French and Harry Smith has massively helped his development.

“Jack’s a super-talented half-back,” Duffy adds. “He’s a scrum-half, but he does like running the ball and taking the line on as opposed to just giving the ball to a team-mate.

“He’s got a great kicking game and pass selection – he can spot what is going to unfold a couple of players before it actually happens.

“His vision is unbelievable for such a young lad and you only really get that kind of rugby intelligence as a player in your early to mid-twenties, so he’s way ahead of where he should be really.

“He played London Broncos away earlier this year and his mum, dad and brother came in the changing room before the game and gave him his shirt.

“That was his debut and he’s not played since, but he’s going really well in the reserves and academy. He can really whack you in the tackle and is going to fill out to a decent size, but he’s only been full-time for six months and can still play Under-18s.”

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Game time in the Championship?

Super League clubs such as Wigan often send their promising homegrown youngsters out to Championship clubs on loan or dual-reg to gain first-team experience.

The likes of Zach Eckersley and Jacob Douglas have spent time playing in the second tier, but Farrimond has not had that opportunity yet.

“But I think that may be a conversation that we need to have with Matt and Jack,” suggests Duffy.

“Jack he needs to challenge himself a bit more soon, so we’ll have that conversation, hopefully in a few weeks. Of course it’s also dependent on what Matt requires from Jack at first team level, so we’ll see what happens.

“But he’s certainly developing nicely right now and I’m sure he’ll go all the way and become something special. He certainly has the ability.”

Player profile

Name: Jack Farrimond

Date of birth: 26/10/05

Position: Scrum-half

Senior debut: London Broncos (A), 09/03/2024

Honours: Lancashire Academy (Origin)

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