Every England player’s academy team: Wigan Warriors dominate as FOURTEEN clubs included
Clockwise: George Williams, Luke Thompson, John Bateman and Daryl Clark at their first clubs.
Shaun Wane has confirmed a star-studded 24-man squad to face Samoa in a two-Test series, and it seems some of the best English talent included.
The squad is littered with some of the best talent in both Super League and the NRL, but these players don’t just start their careers at the top of their game. Their respective academies would have played a huge role in getting them to where the are now; but which academies have produced the most players in this current England squad?
Well, with that thought in mind, here is a run-down of which academy each player in the England squad came from.
Wigan Warriors: 6
The newly crowned quadruple champions lead the way in this current crop of players, with six players in Wane’s 24-man squad coming via their famed academy.
The newest graduate from the Warriors academy in this squad is Junior Nsemba, who is still only 20 years old. Elsewhere, current Warriors Ethan Havard, Liam Marshall and Harry Smith all progressed through the youth system and remain at the club. Morgan Smithies and George Williams also rose through the ranks at Wigan before leaving the club. Williams and Smithies, coincidently, left Wigan to join Canberra Raiders in the NRL, with Williams returning to Super League with Warrington Wolves.
St Helens: 4
Wigan’s biggest rivals, St Helens, aren’t too far behind them in this squad, with four graduates named in Wane’s contingent. Trio Morgan Knowles, Matty Lees and Jack Welsby are all currently plying their trade in the Red Vee, but Luke Thompson has headed across the divide to become an influential part of Wigan’s all-conquering team this season after a stint in the NRL.
Bradford Bulls: 2
Current Championship outfit Bradford Bulls have also seen two former members of their academy named in Wane’s squad to tackle Samoa, however, both have gone onto become household names in the NRL.
Duo John Bateman and Tom Burgess both featured for the Bulls during their Super League days before heading for pastures new. Bateman has had two spells at Wigan, as well as stints in the NRL with Canberra and Wests Tigers before featuring for Warrington Wolves this season on a short-term deal. Burgess, on the other hand, has had it a bit smoother since leaving Bradford in 2012, as he spent 12 seasons with the South Sydney Rabbitohs. He is on his way back to the UK for 2025, however, with Huddersfield Giants.
Both men are also experienced internationals, and are mainstays in the England team under Wane.
London Broncos: 2
It might be a turbulent time behind the scenes at the London Broncos right now, but two of their former academy players feature in Wane’s squad.
Wakefield Trinity-bound Mike McMeeken and Kai Pearce-Paul are the representatives from the South in this squad. McMeeken made his Super League debut with the Londoners back in 2012, before stints at Castleford Tigers and Catalans Dragons. Pearce-Paul never made a senior appearance for London, however, as he made his professional debut in Cherry and White with Wigan back in 2019. He has since headed down under with Newcastle Knights.
Castleford Tigers: 1
The sole representative from the Castleford Tigers academy is Daryl Clark. The hooker made 94 appearances for his hometown club across his four seasons, and also won the coveted Man of Steel whilst still at the Jungle, before joining Warrington Wolves. He spent nine years on the Wire before heading to St Helens in 2024.
Swinton Lions: 1
Former Championship side Swinton Lions have also produced one of Wane’s charges this year, with former winger Matty Ashton flying the flag for the Lions. The winger made 25 senior appearances for the club in his maiden season in 2019, before heading to Warrington Wolves in 2020, where he has established himself as one of the best players in Super League.
Warrington Wolves: 1
Speaking of Warrington, they also have one former academy graduate in their side, as Ben Currie makes the cut. The Wigan-native made his senior Warrington debut back in 2012, and boasts a whopping 286 appearances for the club at the time of writing. He continues to be an important part of the squad today.
Brisbane Broncos: 1
Heading to the NRL with this next one, with Herbie Farnworth earning his stripes with the Brisbane Broncos. The Burnley-native was spotted by Brisbane scouts whilst playing for his local club as a junior and went on to play 79 times for the club before joining the Dolphins this season.
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Leigh Leopards: 1
Back in the North West now, as Leigh Leopards are represented by experienced prop Chris Hill. The front-rower made his senior Leigh debut back in 2005, and spent seven years at his hometown club before joining Warrington Wolves. He went onto make 297 appearances in Primrose and Blue before joining Huddersfield Giants, but is heavily linked with a move to Salford following his exit from the John Smith’s this year.
Hull KR: 1
2024 Grand Finalists, Hull KR, also have a sole representative in the squad, with Mikey Lewis the only player in Wane’s side to come from their academy. Lewis made his senor debut for the Robins in 2019, but only became a regular in the side in 2022. He has since gone on to feature 101 times for his hometown club, and became the first Rovers man to win the Man of Steel award since 1986.
Widnes Vikings: 1
Championship outfit Widnes Vikings also see one of their own named in Wane’s squad, as hooker Danny Walker gets the nod. Walker made his senior Vikings debut back in 2017, and made 30 appearances across two seasons before heading to rivals Warrington Wolves. He has since featured 128 times for the Wire, but is linked with a move to the NRL after a fine 2024 campaign.
Leeds Rhinos: 1
The sole Leeds Rhinos academy graduate in the England squad is centre Harry Newman. The Huddersfield-native made his senior Rhinos debut in 2017, and has since notched 99 appearances for the club. He continues to be a regular feature in the Rhinos side, and penned a new deal with the club last season.
Sydney Roosters: 1
The second NRL side to feature in this list is the Sydney Roosters, as their academy graduate Victor Radley is once again named in Wane’s squad. Radley made his Roosters debut in 2017, and has gone on to feature 141 times for his hometown club, winning back-to-back Premierships in 2018 and 2019. Despite being born in Sydney, he qualifies for England through his Dad.
Huddersfield Giants: 1
Rounding off this list is Huddersfield, where NRL flier Dom Young burst onto the scene. The winger made two appearances for the Giants across his two seasons with the senior side, before heading down under with Newcastle. He has since made 73 appearances in the NRL with both the Knights and the Roosters, scoring 63 tries in the process.
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