Where Are They Now? The Wigan Warriors side who were defeated in Catalans Dragons’ first-ever Super League game
From left to right: Chris Ashton, Sean O'Loughlin and Iafeta Palea'aesina in action for Wigan Warriors during their playing days
Super League could be heading to Paris in 2026, with Catalans Dragons and Wigan Warriors reportedly in talks to take a game to the French capital.
Reports emerged from multiple outlets last week suggesting that reigning Super League champions Wigan have entered talks with the Dragons over the possibility of taking a game to Paris in 2026, to mark the 30th anniversary of Paris Saint-Germain’s entry into Super League in 1996.
The Mirror is among the publications to have reported that Catalans are keen to mark not only that anniversary, but the 20th anniversary of their own debut in Super League. They played their first fixture in the competition in 2006: against the Warriors, famously winning 38-30 in front of an 11,000-strong crowd in Perpignan.
That got us thinking about the Wigan team on that historic day for Les Dracs in 2006. Here’s a throwback to Ian Millward’s 17 that took to the field that night – and what happened to them next…
Chris Ashton
Ashton came through the academy ranks at his hometown club Wigan and was seen as the long-term successor for club legend Kris Radlinski: but he wasn’t in rugby league for long.
He spent three seasons in Wigan’s first team, scoring 28 tries in 52 appearances before crossing codes to rugby union, where he would go on to forge a successful career, winning 44 caps for England in the process. He holds the title of being a dual-code international, having represented his country in league and union. Ashton announced his retirement last year at the age of 36.
Mark Calderwood
London-born winger Calderwood enjoyed a successful playing career, spending the bulk of his career with Leeds and Wigan, making more than 200 appearances in total for both clubs.
The 11-time England international, who won a Super League title with the Rhinos in 2004, spent a couple of seasons with Hull FC and Harlequins towards the end of his time in the top flight before finishing his career with Workington Town in 2013. We aren’t sure what he’s doing now, so if you know, let us know!
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Pat Richards
This one needs little introduction, does it? Richards is a bonafide Wigan legend: and is regarded one of the club’s greatest overseas signings.
The Ireland international, who represented his Irish heritage in two World Cups, spent eight seasons with the Warriors between 2006 and 2013, winning two Super League titles, two Challenge Cups and two League Leaders’ Shields with the club. He was also named the Man of Steel in 2010 for being Super League’s best player.
Richards returned to Australia with his beloved Wests Tigers in 2014 for two seasons before coming back to Super League with Catalans Dragons, hanging up his boots at the end of the 2016 campaign. He now works outside of the sport selling machinery.
David Vaealiki
The former New Zealand international spent three seasons with Wigan in Super League between 2005 and 2007, scoring 17 tries in 73 appearances.
Vaealiki made a brief return to the NRL with Manly Sea Eagles in 2008 before he was released to enable him to take up a two-year contract with French rugby union club, SC Albi. He is now a coordinator and fitness trainer in Sydney.
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Brett Dallas
The Australian winger was, and arguably still is, viewed as one of Wigan’s best overseas imports in the Super League era. He spent seven seasons with the Warriors, scoring over 100 tries at a ratio of better than one every two games.
His playing career finished at the end of the 2006 season but unfortunately, in recent years, Dallas has been involved in controversy back in Australia. He spent ten months in prison during 2020 and 2021 after being caught in possession of drugs, before being released in April of 2021 on parole.
Dennis Moran
Now this is a major throwback to English rugby league fans. Moran represented four clubs during his time in England – London, Wigan, Widnes and Leigh.
The Australian half-back’s most memorable stint came in the colours of London, scoring 77 tries in 115 games for the Broncos. He scored 18 tries in 43 games over two seasons at Wigan. Moran retired in 2008 after spending a season with Leigh, returning to his native Australia to take up a coaching career.
Moran, a proud Indigenous man, is currently chief executive of SunUp, an Aboriginal marketing and advertising company based in New South Wales. Moran is also a senior culture educator and mentor for Muru Mittigar, a Dharug Aboriginal Enterprise in Western Sydney.
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Sean O’Loughlin
The long-term successor to Andy Farrell in the number 13 shirt at Wigan, O’Loughlin enjoyed a wonderful playing career with the Warriors which saw him win practically every trophy on offer.
He remained with the Warriors as a player until the end of 2020, before immediately transitioning into a role on the club’s coaching staff. He is now one of Matt Peet’s assistants and part of their dominant success of club rugby league.
Scott Logan
Australia-born Logan had two separate spells in Super League, representing Hull FC between 2002 and 2005 and then Wigan in 2006.
Meanwhile, he made more than 170 appearances in the NRL for Sydney Roosters, South Sydney Rabbitohs and Canberra Raiders. He represented Scotland on the international stage, qualifying for the Bravehearts via the family heritage ruling. He donned the Scottish jersey in two World Cups.
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Micky Higham
Higham – or Mr Lancashire as he can be referred to in rugby league circles – is one of the few players to have made more than 500 career appearances, having played for four North West clubs – Leigh, St Helens, Wigan and Warrington – during his decorated playing career.
The former Great Britain and England international hung up his boots in 2010, and then joined the coaching staff of his hometown club Leigh. These days, Higham runs his own gym in Leigh as well as appearing as a rugby league co-commentator on radio.
Iafeta Palea’aesina
Palea’aesina – or Feka (as most fans known him as) – was a fans’ favourite at every club he was at.
The Kiwi international arrived at Wigan in 2006 from New Zealand Warriors and went on to make 145 appearances in cherry and white over five seasons, helping Michael Maguire’s side win the Super League Grand Final in 2010.
Palea’aesina hung up his boots after spending the 2017 campaign with Doncaster, and would become player welfare manager at Hull FC, a role which he only left last year to enter a new career outside of the sport, being a qualified a HGV driver based in Hull.
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Joel Tomkins
Tomkins came through the academy ranks at Wigan, making his first team debut in 2005. In total, the towering back-rower played 12 seasons with the Warriors, with a three-year spell in rugby union sandwiched between his two Wigan stints.
Tomkins, who is a dual-code England international, spent the final four seasons of his career with Hull KR and Catalans Dragons before retiring in 2021. He went into the Fire Service upon retirement, but returned to Wigan earlier this year as the club’s scholarship head coach.
Danny Tickle
Tickle had a long and storied career in professional rugby league spanning almost 20 years. After making over 150 appearances for Wigan, he then did the same in a successful stint at Hull FC.
Spells at the likes of Widnes, Castleford and Leigh followed before Tickle ended his playing career with Workington Town in 2019. We don’t know what Tickle is up to these days, so if you know, let us know!
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Harrison Hansen
Hansen is the only player in this Wigan team from 2006 who is still playing to this day! The 38-year-old is currently captain of Toulouse Olympique, who are a full-time team that play in the Championship.
The former New Zealand and Samoa international serviced Salford, Leigh, Widnes and Toulouse with distinction: but his most memorable spell of his career – by some way – came at Wigan, making almost 250 appearances for the club, helping Shaun Wane’s side win the double in 2013.
Kevin Brown (sub)
Brown came through the youth system at the Warriors before going on to play for Huddersfield, Widnes, Warrington, Leigh (loan) and Salford until he hung up his boots in 2021.
The England international, who played in the 2017 World Cup final, now owns a couple of small food cafes in the Wigan area and regularly appears on TV as a rugby league pundit.
Wayne Godwin (sub)
Pontefract-born Godwin represented six clubs throughout his career after starting his career at boyhood club Castleford. He went on to play for Wigan, Hull FC, Bradford, Salford and Dewsbury before retiring at the end of the 2015 campaign.
The three-time England international is now business development manager at Elite Kids Coaching in West Yorkshire.
Jerry Seuseu (sub)
Seuseu spent the final two seasons of his professional career with Wigan, making 40 appearances in the cherry and white shirt.
The former New Zealand Warriors prop won 15 caps on the international stage – four for Samoa and 11 for New Zealand.
Seuseu has been the wellbeing manager at NRL club New Zealand Warriors since 2022.
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Danny Orr (sub)
Castleford Tigers icon Orr hung up his playing boots in 2012, before embarking on a career in coaching. He was a long-serving ally of Daryl Powell during his successful stint with the Tigers from 2013 to 2020, before Orr swapped clubs to take up a role as assistant coach at Salford.
Now? He’s believed to be training to be a police detective, in a complete career shift!
Head Coach: Ian Millward
Millward is a familiar face to British rugby league fans, having spent 14 years in England as a coach at Leigh, St Helens, Wigan, and Castleford.
The 64-year-old is now the director of rugby league pathways and list management at St George Illawarra Dragons in the NRL.
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