CONNOR Wrench and Ellis Longstaff have already shared some career highlights together and this week marks another milestone for the Warrington Wolves pair.
The 18-year-olds have been named in Steve Price’s Wire 21-man squad for the first time, meaning they are in the mix for their Super League debuts against Hull FC at Headingley in Leeds tomorrow, Friday, kick-off 8.15pm.
Their call-up comes on the back of the Wolves’ pack being decimated by self-isolations as a consequence of a Wakefield player who appeared against them last Sunday having returned a positive test for Covid-19.
But everybody in The Wire camp will tell you Wrench and Longstaff have worked extremely hard to get where they are and deserve their call-up, whether or not they go on to feature in the matchday 17 tomorrow.
It has not been an easy year for either of them in terms of match play, neither having represented the club since the only Reserves League game of the year against Newcastle Thunder at Victoria Park in February.
Connor Wrench touching down for Warrington Wolves Reserves against Newcastle Thunder at the start of the year. Picture: Mike Boden
Ellis Longstaff, far left, warming up with Warrington Wolves Reserves. Picture: Mike Boden
They featured off the bench in the pre-season warm-up game away to Swinton, too, eight months ago.
Ellis Longstaff, left, and Eribe Doro after the mudbath friendly against Swinton in January. Picture: Mike Boden
The two six-footers Wrench and Longstaff have proven to be double trouble for opposing Academy teams over the past few seasons.
So much so that the second-row partners, who are both full-time professionals and contracted with the club until the end of 2022, were named joint Warrington Wolves Under 19s Player of the Year Award winners at the end of the 2019 campaign.
They have represented England Youth and England Academy together, while having squared up at representative level too in rival Lancashire and Yorkshire academy teams.
Connor Wrench, left, and Ellis Longstaff, centre, with Wire teammates representing England Academy in France
Wrench skippered the England Academy side to a 62-0 win against Wales in Llanelli last year and marked the occasion with a hat-trick of tries.
Both were named in the England National Academy Performance Squad for 2020, which could have led to a tour of New Zealand and Australia this summer if they had gained final selection and if Covid-19 had not led to the trip being cancelled.
Their paths to the top do have different origins though.
Warringtonian Wrench, a former pupil at Kings Leadership Academy and Birchwood College, developed at Woolston Rovers and then Crosfields while also coming through the Wolves scholarship that included featuring in an unbeaten under 16s campaign.
At the time of signing his current contract he said: “It’s a massive honour to play for my hometown club and it is my ultimate aim to get in the Warrington first team, especially having come from the scholarship all the way through to the academy. I wasn’t expecting it this early but the hard work seems to have paid off and I have to just keep going now until I get there.
“It’s all about improving my skills, playing and training with better players and learning off them. Hopefully I can improve my game off the back of that. There are great coaches throughout this club so whoever I am training with, be it academy or first team, they all have lots to share to help me improve.”
And when he was honoured with captaincy of England Academy, one of his former Woolston Rovers coaches Darren Geritas said: "You could tell from a very early age that he had something very special about him and he is proving that now.
“I am certain that he is only going to get better. Hopefully we will see him wearing the primrose and blue in Super League in the not too distant future and full international honours are certainly within his capabilities over the next few years."
Ellis Longstaff in training for Wire ahead of the start of Super League's resumption after being suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic
Longstaff, meanwhile, has Yorkshire origins and arrived at Warrington in 2018 after being on the books at Wigan Warriors.
He played his junior rugby at Kippax Welfare in Leeds and studied at Crofton Academy in Wakefield.
Ironically, the Kippax side he played for at under 16s level were known as Wolves. His team were crowned league champions in 2017.
He played centre at youth level in 2018.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here