Sam Eseh: Wigan Warriors move could be ‘life-changing’ as he reveals trophy aims and how his upbringing shaped him
Sam Eseh has joined Wigan Warriors on a two-year deal - Alamy
Rumour has it that Wigan Warriors will take some stopping next season – and hulking prop Sam Eseh is certainly determined to play his part.
At 6ft 4in and tipping the scales at over 17 stone, Eseh is imposing to say the least.
The Leeds-born 20-year-old signed for the 2023 Grand Final winners from Wakefield Trinity following their relegation from Super League.
He joins a squad dripping with quality in every department and bolstered by the arrival of several new faces.
Along with Eseh, Sam Walters, Kruise Leeming, Tiaki Chan, Adam Keighran and Luke Thompson have also arrived.
The amiable Yorkshireman, who has joined on a two-year deal, told Love Rugby League: “It’s a real honour to have joined Wigan and it’s just a case of seeing where I fit in to the team, the culture and environment.
“Obviously they got it right last year by winning the Super League title and hopefully that can happen again in 2024.
“I want to play my part in helping the team progress and my physicality is obviously a big part of my game.
“I’m weighing 110 kilograms now – I’ve put on about four kilos since I started training at Wigan – and am getting heavier and heavier.
“I enjoy the aggressive side of the game more than anything else.
“I love getting stuck in, especially in defence, and really like getting into people’s faces.
“It’s about letting the opposition know that Wigan – as a team – are there with a champion mindset.
“I think that’s what Matty might have seen and liked in my game – my aggression.”
Sam Eseh enjoying life in North West with Super League champs: ‘A big move for me as a rugby player but also as a man’
Sam Eseh in action for Wakefield against Wigan in 2023 – Alamy
Eseh has moved over from his native Leeds to an apartment in Wigan and has quickly settled on and off the field.
“I’m about 15 minutes away from the training ground at Robin Park and it’s a nice area,” he explained.
“I’m only 20 and most of my mates have gone to university.
“I’ve kind of stayed at home with my mum and played rugby league, but coming over to Wigan is not only a big move for me as a rugby player but also a man.
“I’m living on my own and have new responsibilities.”
Mum’s the word for Wigan Warriors new boy
Eseh is very close to his mum Agnes, who brought him up on the tough Halton Moor council estate in east Leeds.
Eseh remembered: “We struggled a lot when I was growing up, so I think I’m now an example of how you can potentially change your life.
“That’s down to the way my mum brought me up with good manners, morals and taught me to respect my elders.
“I think because of the love and care she gave me ensured I was bound not to go down the path that some people I’ve grown up around have.
“Not everyone in Halton Moor lives in poverty, but it’s a working-class area so it can be easy to go off the rails.
“I’ve always be grateful to my mum’s guidance and for allowing me to play rugby because I actually can’t thank her enough for where I am today.
“Realistically, this move to Wigan could be life-changing.”
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