Wigan Warriors duo land Championship loan moves with senior debut beckoning

Young Wigan Warriors duo Kalum Rathbone and Mike Porter have linked up on loan with Championship outfit Swinton Lions.

Rathbone, who turned 20 in January, joined the Warriors at scholarship level in 2022 having donned a shirt for community club Leigh Miners Rangers right the way through his amateur career.

Last month saw him make his first-team and Super League bow as Matt Peet rotated his squad ahead of the Challenge Cup final when Wigan made the trip to Craven Park to face Hull KR.

The hooker, who can also slot in at loose forward, now has two professional appearances to his name having featured once on loan for London Broncos last term as they were narrowly beaten by Widnes Vikings.

Wigan Warriors duo land Championship loan moves with senior debut beckoning

Having trained to become an electrician alongside his youth career in the game, Rathbone now makes the move to Swinton alongside front-rower Porter.

Born in Wigan, he joined the Warriors a year earlier at scholarship level in 2021 having represented both Wigan St Cuthbert’s and Orrell St James in the community game.

A former British Wrestling champion, Porter is yet to make his professional debut in league, but will now do so this weekend as he lines up for Swinton in their Championship clash away against Midlands Hurricanes.

The Lions have taken just five competition points from their first 13 league games this term, winning two and drawing one having suffered defeat ten times.

Anthony Murray’s side make the trip to Midlands on the back of consecutive defeats against Rochdale Hornets and Halifax Panthers, though had a bye week last time out.

Rathbone and Porter have initially joined the Championship strugglers on a short-term deal, but there is the possibility their stays could be extended week-on-week, with the new loan system adopted this season allowing for that.