Super League Under-24s Dream Team with FOUR Wigan Warriors stars named

There’s always a plethora of young talent in Super League, and 2025 promises to be no different in that regard, with starlets on show all over the place. 

Here, we’ve put together a Dream Team of players who will begin the 2025 Super League campaign aged 24 or under.

1. Jack Welsby (St Helens)

We know it seems like he’s been around forever, but Saints superstar Welsby – who made his senior debut in September 2018 – is still only 23.

Now a 13-time England international, the Wigan-born ace already won everything there is to win with Paul Wellens’ side having been crowned Super League’s Young Player of the Year back in 2022. Welsby will hit the milestone of 150 Saints appearances next year, all being well.

Date of birth: 17.03.2001 (23)

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2. Jack Broadbent (Hull KR)

Having turned 24 at the start of this month, Broadbent is actually the second-oldest player in this team. An incredibly versatile back, we’d have no worries about putting him out on the wing, a position he played five times for Hull KR in 2024 en-route to an appearance in the Super League Grand Final.

Broadbent needs just two more appearances to hit the milestone of 100 games at senior level in his career having donned the shirts of Featherstone Rovers, hometown club Batley Bulldogs, Leeds Rhinos and Castleford Tigers prior to KR.

Date of birth: 01.11.2000 (24)

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3. Umyla Hanley (Leigh Leopards)

Wigan-born Hanley came through the youth ranks with the Warriors, making his first-team debut in September 2020. Also featuring on loan for both Newcastle and Rochdale Hornets, he played just 11 games at senior level for Wigan before making the switch across the borough to Leigh ahead of the 2023 campaign.

Eventually making his breakthrough into Adrian Lam’s side early on in the 2024 season, he went on to score 14 tries in 29 appearances across all competitions, becoming a mainstay in the Leopards’ XIII.

Date of birth: 05.03.2002 (22)

4. Zach Eckersley (Wigan Warriors)

Eckersley had played 16 senior games this time last year, and only one had come in Wigan colours. Fast forward 12 months and he doubled that tally, featuring 16 times for Matt Peet’s Warriors in a campaign which saw them win all four major honours on offer.

Another very versatile back, he already has a try in a Challenge Cup final on his CV and has been bumped up the squad numbers ahead of 2025 handed the 22 shirt. The Oldham native’s dual-registration/loan clubs include Widnes Vikings, London Broncos and Barrow Raiders.

Date of birth: 10.11.2003 (21)

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5. Josh Thewlis (Warrington Wolves)

Another Super League youngster who hails from Oldham, winger Thewlis already has 88 senior appearances for Warrington on his CV having made his first-team debut for the Wolves back in June 2019.

Scoring 39 tries in the process, he’s also kicked 84 goals – establishing himself as the number one goal-kicker in Sam Burgess’ side, one of the best in the competition in that department.

Date of birth: 30.04.2002 (22)

6. Oli Leyland (Warrington Wolves)

London academy product Leyland will have a tough job on his hands to become a regular starter at Warrington in 2025, but the Wolves saw enough from him in a Broncos shirt to offer him a deal, and that in itself comes as no surprise.

94 of the Maidstone-born playmaker’s 98 senior career appearances to date have come for the Broncos, with the other four for London Skolars. Notably, he’d be another option for goal-kicking in this team with 170 successful conversions to his name already along with a sole drop goal.

Date of birth: 17.05.2001 (23)

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7. Mikey Lewis (Hull KR)

There was only one man we could have chosen to partner Leyland in the halves. 2024’s Man of Steel Lewis is still only 23 having made his first-team bow for Hull KR in August 2019. Prior, the Robins’ homegrown star featured seven times on loan for Newcastle Thunder that year and he also spent time on loan at York in 2021.

All in, he’s now made 114 appearances at club level – with 101 of those coming for KR. An 1895 Cup winner with York in 2021, he’s now played in both a Challenge Cup final and a Grand Final for Willie Peters’ side without tasting victory, but has been at the very forefront of the Robins’ evolution in recent years. West Hull native Lewis now also have five England caps to his name.

Date of birth: 04.07.2001 (23)

8. George Delaney (St Helens)

Whiston-born Delaney is a product of Saints’ academy and, having made a first-team debut in April 2022, has now featured 48 times for Wellens’ side at senior level. When you throw in the six games he played on dual-registration at Swinton Lions in 2023, he’s sat on a total of 54 career appearances.

Pretty much a mainstay in the Red V’s squad, the forward is still only 20 and scored his first senior try in September against Castleford. He has been involved in the England setup under Shaun Wane, though awaits his international debut.

Date of birth: 04.02.2004 (20)

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9. Brad O’Neill (Wigan Warriors)

O’Neill is currently making his way back from an ACL injury sustained in June, but if we’re basing this team on everyone being fit and available (which we are), then he’d most definitely be included. Still only 22, he’s another of Wigan’s youth products to have won everything there is to win already.

Making a first-team bow for Wigan in June 2021, the Leigh-born hooker – also able to play at loose – now has 83 senior appearances on his CV including his one cap for England. 69 of the 83 have come in Warriors colours, with the rest coming between loan stints at Widnes and Newcastle.

Date of birth: 22.07.2002 (22)

10. Ethan Havard (Wigan Warriors)

Bulgaria-born Havard – whose 100th appearance for Wigan came in their 2024 Grand Final triumph against Hull KR – is the oldest player in this line-up, but only turned 24 at the end of October.

The prop has never donned any other club’s shirt, even as a loanee, having made his senior bow for the Cherry and Whites in July 2019. With six major honours on his CV, Havard – who moved over from Bulgaria at six months old – now has three England appearances to his name, too.

Date of birth: 26.10.2000 (24)

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11. Harry Rushton (Huddersfield Giants)

Blackpool-born Rushton, a four-time Ireland international through his heritage, is another product of Wigan’s academy. He made just one senior appearance for the Warriors, that coming in September 2020, before making the move over to the NRL with Canberra.

Playing three times at first-grade level for the Raiders, he would return from Down Under in 2023, linking up with Huddersfield back in Super League. 37 appearances have followed for the Giants across the last two seasons, with all the noise around his potential still incredibly positive.

Date of birth: 13.11.2001 (23)

12. Junior Nsemba (Wigan Warriors)

Nsemba was THE new kid on the block in 2024. We’d seen him play 16 games for hometown club Wigan prior to the season just gone, but start just twice. He then played 28 times across all competitions in 2024, starting 25 times and becoming one of the first names on the teamsheet following Willie Isa’s injury.

Nsemba – who was named Super League’s Young Player of the Year – performed so well that the Warriors have handed him starting shirt number 11 for 2025, with Isa dropping down the pecking order and seemingly having been permanently displaced.

With three major honours won and his first England appearance already under his belt, it would appear that the sky is the limit for Nsemba at the moment. Unbelievably, he won’t turn 21 until June, either.

Date of birth: 27.06.2004 (20)

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13. Jarrod O’Connor (Leeds Rhinos)

O’Connor is only 23, but is another who seems to have been around forever with his senior bow for Leeds coming back in October 2020. When you include the four games he’s played on loan between Featherstone Rovers and Bradford Bulls, the versatile forward now has 101 career appearances to his name, with the other 97 all coming in Rhinos colours.

The Widnes-born ace – who is the son of ex-Great Britain prop turned Sky Sports pundit Terry – has already featured in a Grand Final, doing so in 2022, and Leeds boss Brad Arthur will hope he’s able to play a big part in the Rhinos’ rebuild come 2025.

Date of birth: 20.07.2001 (23)

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