Hooker Brad O’Neill says he’s ‘over the moon’ to be staying with ‘the best club for me to develop’ after penning a new five-year contract with Wigan Warriors.
A 2027 contract was already in place for
the 22-year-old former amateur for the
Halton Farnworth Hornets.
The team has also taken steps to retain him for a another two seasons, even
though he missed the majority of 2024
due to a significant knee injury.
“I’m thrilled to have my contract at
Wigan extended,” he declared. “I believe
that my greatest years are undoubtedly
still ahead of me, and that I still have a
lot of work and learning to accomplish.
With the players, coaching staff, and
facilities here, I think this is the perfect
club for me to grow.
“In our internal discussions, Brad would
rank highly as a player and as a person,”
CEO Kris Radlinski stated. “His greatest
years are still to come, and he has the
potential for an incredible career. He
exemplifies the fundamental principles
that our club holds dear and will
continue to have a significant influence
on our culture for many years to come.
O’Neill, who has previously won the
League Leaders’ Shield, the Grand Final,
the Challenge Cup, and the World Club
Challenge, is expected to return from
injury in April 2025.
After players like Junior Nsemba (2030),
Jake Wardle (2029), Zach Eckersley,
Bevan French, Liam Marshall (2028), Jai
Field, Ethan Havard, Kruise Leeming,
Harry Smith, and Luke Thompson (2027),
he is the most recent Warriors star to
sign a long-term contract extension.
“I was thrilled to hear Kris tell me that he
and Brad had reached this agreement,”
Coach Matty Peet continued. Securing
such a valuable team member for such a
long period of time is a significant step
for us. Brad is a fantastic example of a
Wigan player both on and off the pitch,
and I love working with him. His
graduation from our Academy will make
many of our employees extremely proud.
