The 13 young guns who will take Super League by storm in 2025 including Wigan trio
From left to right: Cai Taylor-Wray, Riley Lumb, Harvey Smith and George Whitby all feature in this XIII of under-21s ready to take Super League by storm
Super League is littered with young talent, and there’s little fans enjoy seeing more than ‘one of their own’ excelling in the first-team.
Ahead of the 2025 campaign, we’ve put together a XIII made up entirely of under-21s ready to take Super League by storm whenever they’re given the opportunity.
Some of these are already recognisable names, while some will undoubtedly fall into that category sooner rather than later.
For clarification, players eligible for selection here have to be aged 21 or under at the time of writing on January 16, 2025 AND they have to have made ten or fewer Super League appearances.
Without further ado, here is the XIII, with seven of the 12 top-flight clubs represented…
1. Cai Taylor-Wray (Warrington Wolves)
Date of birth (age at time of writing): 24.02.2006 (18)
Taylor-Wray – the son of former Jamaica international Jamaine – grew up in the Leeds suburb of Cross Gates and began his journey at East Leeds. Joining Warrington at the age of 14, he made his first-team bow against Wigan in June.
Five further senior appearances followed, along with three tries, before the end of the campaign – and the youngster penned his first professional contract in September. Tied down until the end of 2027, the Wolves also hold an option in their favour to extend that for a further 12 months.
2. Jacob Douglas (Wigan Warriors)
Date of birth (age at time of writing): 08.02.2005 (19)
Outside-back Douglas has been in Wigan‘s junior ranks since 2019, and was promoted into the first-team setup in 2023. Having made loan appearances for Oldham, Whitehaven, Barrow and Bradford, the teenager’s senior bow for the Warriors came in June against Warrington.
A Reserves Grand Final winner in 2023, the winger then grabbed his first senior try in a win at home against Hull FC in August.
3. Ned McCormack (Leeds Rhinos)
Date of birth (age at time of writing): 08.02.2005 (19)
McCormack, who played junior rugby league for Farnley Falcons and Leeds Leopards, joined the Rhinos in April 2023 – already an England under-18s international in rugby union with numerous Premiership Rugby clubs showing interest in him.
Promoted to the first-team setup at Headingley within a year, McCormack’s official debut for the club came against Warrington in April. Playing a total of three games for Brad Arthur’s side in 2024, he also featured three times on dual-registration for Championship outfit Halifax.
4. Owen Dagnall (St Helens)
Date of birth (age at time of writing): Unknown (19)
Dagnall joined Saints at the age of 14 from local community side Halton Farnworth Hornets, scoring 13 tries in nine matches in 2023 as they were crowned champions at Academy level.
Earning honours at youth level for both England and Lancashire, he then caught the eye in the reserves and got promoted into the first-team setup midway through the 2024 campaign, being involved in a 21-man squad for the first time in July. We wouldn’t be surprised to see him earn a senior debut this year.
5. Riley Lumb (Leeds Rhinos)
Date of birth (age at time of writing): 18.12.2004 (20)
Versatile back Lumb has been known for his try-scoring ability throughout his time in Leeds’ youth ranks, and grabbed a brace on his senior debut away against Hull FC in April having played a sole game on dual-registration for Halifax seven days earlier.
Named man of the match in that game against the Airlie Birds, the 2018 under-18s Grand Final winner was injured against London the following week, but returned at the end of the campaign to play a further two games. The 20-year-old featured for Townsville Tigers and Castleford Lock and as a junior, playing in four BARLA finals.
6. George Whitby (St Helens)
Date of birth (age at time of writing): 17.05.2006 (18)
Playmaker Whitby linked up with Saints at the age of 14 from local community club Blackbrook Royals, and now 18, he made his Super League debut in August against Hull KR.
Going on to earn honours for England Academy the following month, he also featurde in Grand Finals at both Academy and Reserves levels before the end of the year. The half-back is now a permanent fixture in Paul Wellens’ first-team squad.
7. George Brown (Leeds Rhinos)
Date of birth (age at time of writing): Unknown – Teenager
Dewsbury Celtic youngster Brown was first picked up by Leeds at under-14s level, but departed ahead of 2024 and opted to play rugby union for Yorkshire. Towards the end of the season, he rejoined the Rhinos and marked his return with four tries on his debut at under-18s level against Wakefield.
He then scored the winner on his unofficial senior debut for the club on Boxing Day in their friendly against Trinity, and big things are expected of him. Leeds are well stacked in terms of half-back options for 2025, but he’s certainly one to keep an eye on for the future.
8. Harvey Makin (Wigan Warriors)
Date of birth (age at time of writing): 17.11.2003 (21)
Hailing from the town, Makin – who has been playing rugby league since the age of six – joined boyhood club Wigan in 2020. The prop, a St Jude’s junior, then represented Lancashire in the 2021 Academy Origin clash with Yorkshire.
Now 21, he’s been named in a 21-man squad by Matt Peet before, but is yet to make his first-team debut for the club. That could well come in 2025 having featured 34 times at senior level between loans at Oldham, Barrow, London and Bradford.
9. Harvey Smith (Wakefield Trinity)
Date of birth (age at time of writing): 16.01.2006 (19)
England Academy international Smith made his Super League debut for Wakefield in the final game of the 2023 season against Hull KR, and went on to play 13 games across all competitions in their treble-winning campaign in the second tier last term.
Scoring three tries in the process, Trinity have recently tied him down until the end of 2028. Most definitely one to watch.
10. Jack Billington (Huddersfield Giants)
Date of birth (age at time of writing): 24.10.2004 (20)
Highly-rated prop Billington has been with the Giants since the age of 14, but was still playing rugby union alongside league at first. Having represented Yorkshire in both codes, and England at youth level in union, it was a career in league he chose to pursue when the time came to make the decision, and he’s since featured twice at first-team level.
With his debut coming in July, both of those senior appearances for the Giants in 2024 came against Warrington, with Billington having spent time out on loan with both Barrow and Dewsbury prior to that.
11. Will Kirby (Hull FC)
Date of birth (age at time of writing): 22.02.2006 (18)
Boyhood Hull fan Kirby, who joined the club at under-16s level, is able to play in the middle and in the back-row. Offering powerful and aggressive presence on the edge, the ex-Hull Wyke junior has earned honours for Yorkshire Academy.
His senior debut came in July away against Salford, and though an ankle injury prevented him from featuring again at first-team level in 2024, the Airlie Birds tied him down with a professional deal for the duration of the upcoming 2025 campaign.
12. Ben Littlewood (Leeds Rhinos)
Date of birth (age at time of writing): 20.01.2005 (19)
Local lad – and boyhood Rhinos fan – Littlewood joined Leeds in 2022 having caught the eye of Simon Bell, the club’s Head of Academy Recruitment and Operations. Hailing from a sporting family with his brother Joe previously playing for Leeds United at youth level, 19-year-old Ben first played rugby union before friends persuaded him to move into league.
Playing for both Oulton Raiders as Castleford Lock Lane before being picked up by Leeds, the teenager made his senior Rhinos bow against Wigan at Headingley in August. Littlewood also played three games on dual-registration for Halifax in 2024, and has already been tipped for a big future by Brad Arthur.
13. Taylor Kerr (Wigan Warriors)
Date of birth (age at time of writing): 01.08.2006 (18)
The last player in this XIII is perhaps the one being touted as a potential star most vocally. Boyhood Warriors fan Kerr played for Ince Rose Bridge, Orrell St James and Wigan St Judes before he signed his first contract with the Cherry and Whites in 2020.
Going on to impress for both the academy and reserves side in a Warriors shirt, he has excelled since being moved into the loose forward role, earning honours for Lancashire Academy.
Promoted up to the first-team ahead of this year, Kerr awaits his senior debut – and if it doesn’t come with Wigan this year, we’d be gobsmacked if he doesn’t get some serious game time out on loan somewhere.
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