Life on loan at the Lions

[josie andrews]

Wigan Academy star Harry Smith on life on loan at Swinton Lions.

Scrum-half has played eight games so far in the Betfred Championship.

Smith: “I’m getting a lot of experience by playing against older and experienced players.

Wigan Warriors Academy star, Harry Smith, has revealed his enjoyment of playing in the Championship whilst on loan at Swinton Lions.

The 19-year-old scrum-half has played nine games for Swinton in 2019, including a Challenge Cup tie against Featherstone Rovers.

Smith, who is an England Academy international, admits he has needed the experience of playing against ‘older men’.

“It’s going well,” Smith says. “It’s good to get game time against older men. A few results haven’t gone our way, but hopefully we can turn it around over the Easter period.

“I’m getting a lot of experience by playing against older and experienced players, and big bodies too, something which I need to do to help myself make that step into Super League.”

Widnes-born Smith singed for Wigan in 2014 from amateur club Halton Farnworth Hornets.

During his time in the Warriors Academy, Smith has won two Under-19s Grand Finals, as well as being awarded the 2018 Under-19s Player of the Year.

So far in 2019, Wigan’s Under-19s side have won five out of five and sit top of the Academy Super League, and Smith revealed his pleasure of seeing his fellow club colleagues doing well without him.

He commented: “A few of the boys are telling me it’s going well. They’re saying they don’t need me, which is a nice complement to have!

“We’ll have to see what happens when it comes to later on in the season to see if I play for the Under-19s again or continue at Swinton.

“I’ve watched the home games and they look to be going really well. The middles are dominating the field and helping to set up a platform for the backs to finish off the tries which is good to see.”

As well as Smith, there are ten other Wigan Warriors youngsters either on loan or on dual-registration around the country in the Betfred Championship and Betfred League One:

Jack Wells - duel-registration at Swinton Lions

Liam Forysth - duel-registration at Swinton Lions

Josh Ganson - duel-registration at Swinton Lions

Harry Smith - month loan at Swinton Lions

Josh Woods - season loan at Leigh Centurions

Samy Kibula - duel-registration at Dewsbury Rams

Callum Field - dual-registration at Dewsbury Rams

Caine Barnes - season loan at Workington Town

Sam Grant - season loan at London Skolars

James Barran - season loan at London Skolars

Joe Brown - month loan at London Skolars


https://www.wiganwarriors.com/news/2019 ... iTME6lP.99