Wigan Warriors forward among young Super League trio to join League 1 heavyweights
A League 1 match ball
Wigan Warriors forward Trent Kelly-Duffy will join Swinton Lions on a permanent basis ahead of 2026 alongside Salford Red Devils’ Lucas Coan and Jimmy Shields.
Kelly-Duffy, whose twin brother Dylan remains in the system at Wigan, is a Blackbrook Royals junior.
Having linked up with the Warriors back in 2020 at scholarship level, he has not registered a senior appearance for the Super League side, but has gained first-team experience out on loan at Swinton.
With eight games under his belt across all competitions for Paul Wood’s side this term that have seen him operate in the front-row, the back-row and at loose, he will now re-join the Lions permanently in preparation for next season.
Wigan Warriors forward among young Super League trio to join League 1 heavyweights
After finishing third in League 1, Swinton are in the midst of a big recruitment drive for 2026: with the vast majority of their squad from this year retained and a plethora of signings made.
Salford duo Coan and Shields will also form part of Wood’s squad come next season having formed part of Paul Rowley’s squad in Super League this term amid the Red Devils’ financial crisis.
Coan’s sole Super League appearance came at centre in Round 1 as Salford fielded a team almost entirely made up of youngsters away at St Helens, where they were beaten 82-0.
Shields meanwhile started in the back-row that night, with his other first-team appearance for the Red Devils coming in a 54-0 defeat away at Wigan Warriors in Round 6.
Amid a wealth of announcements published on social media, Swinton have also confirmed a handful of departures.
Dan Abram, Jordan Paga and Danny Lynch will all head for pastures new come 2026 having made a combined 24 appearances across all competitions during the 2025 campaign.
Utility back Abram had been with the Lions since 2022, but spent the back end of this year out on loan at Whitehaven.
Paga scored five tries in his 13 appearances for Swinton, including one in their victory over eventual League 1 champions North Wales Crusaders in early August.
Lynch meanwhile featured just twice in the club’s colours.
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