Wigan Warriors youngster reflects on ‘special’ week after back-to-back Grand Final wins

Wigan Warriors youngster Shea O’Connor has reflected on his ‘special’ year after winning two Grand Finals in the space of six days.

The 18-year-old prop has enjoyed a remarkable few months since making his first-team debut in May, with nine appearances for Matt Peet’s side so far.

O’Connor has now added two pieces of silverware at youth level, helping Wigan’s Academy beat Warrington Wolves 36-16 before featuring in the Reserves’ 42-0 victory over the same opponents.

“It’s amazing,” said O’Connor. “The boys have worked hard all year for this - not lost a game as well - so I’m buzzing.”

O’Connor started in the front-row alongside Sam Eseh in the Reserves Grand Final and the pair produced a strong display in the middle of the field.

The youngster revealed the pair had discussed their approach before kick-off, with wet conditions also influencing Wigan’s game plan.

“We talked about it before the game, being hard-nosed and just going through it, really,” he said. “Obviously it was raining before the game, the conditions were greasy, so we had a game plan, and I thought we played it really well.”

O’Connor has quickly become part of Peet’s first-team plans after making his senior debut earlier this year, with his progress continuing to surprise even himself!

“If you had asked me in November, I would have been surprised to play even one first-team game, so to play so many first-team games and then play two Grand Finals on the bounce and hopefully a third… It’s special, and it’s what you dream of as a kid,” he added.

The former Orrell St James junior has also had the opportunity to train alongside some of Wigan’s most experienced players, with the first-team squad providing an important environment for his development.

“It’s so good being around players like that,” said O’Connor. “They’re not just good players, they’re good blokes as well, so it’s a really good environment. They’ve helped me a lot, so a lot of credit must go to them.”

After two Grand Final victories in less than a week, O’Connor could yet have another major occasion ahead of him as Wigan’s first-team hunt Super League Grand Final glory at Old Trafford.