Brad Singleton knows what it’s like to come through the academy of a big club.
When he was emerging at Leeds Rhinos, he had the likes of Jamie Peacock, Kevin Sinfield, Danny McGuire and Rob Burrow to learn from.
By 2015, Singleton was an established first teamer with the Rhinos starting the Grand Final as he helped Leeds to the treble even getting over for a try against Hull KR in the Challenge Cup semi-final.
Grand Final glory that year came against Wigan Warriors who he know plays for after winning the 2017 Grand Final with Leeds as well prior to his exit at the end of the 2019 season.
Now he’s the senior player helping young men through the Wigan academy and he believes the Warriors have some big Super League stars of the future in their academy:
“It’s a tough one that, I was first fulltime when I was 17. It was a bit more daunting back then and I think that’s the mental side of things,” Singleton said on Wigan’s Twitter.
“At this stage it’s a bit more taxing on the body but mentally you can get through that especially at a team like Wigan, there is a conveyer belt of talent and they have a great attitude and that continues with these lot.
“There’s some great players, there’s signs there of some great Super League players we’ll have to see how that pans out but I think there’s a future for all of them.
“There’s some big athletes and big boys amongst them.”