Extended interview with Warrington Wolves head of youth Ryan O'Brien

With 17-year-old outside-back Arron Lindop making a try-scoring first-team debut against Catalans Dragons in Round One and recent graduates Leon Hayes and Adam Holroyd enjoying extended runs in the senior side, there have been success stories aplenty.

As such, there is a feel-good factor around The Wire's youth department as the under 18s prepare to kick off their season against Hull FC at Victoria Park tonight.

They return to action on the back of a 2023 which saw them reach the Academy Grand Final before losing to St Helens and go on an end-of-season tour to Australia.

Ahead of the opener, our Warrington Wolves reporter Matt Turner had an extended sit-down with Ryan O'Brien - the club's new head of youth - to talk about the year ahead...

MT: It must be nice to get to the end of pre-season and finally have some games to look forward to?

RO’B: It is – it seems a long while ago now that we came back in.

We started in early December, which is a little bit later than usual but having had the Australia tour from which we didn’t get back until early November, the lads needed some time off.

The lads have worked really hard. There’s been a lot of change and new things to learn and implement which has all been fed down from the first team.

The boys have been put through their paces and we’re looking forward to seeing it in action now over the coming weeks and months.

MT: You mentioned the Australia tour there which was clearly an enriching and valuable experience for those young guys.

Are you already starting to see some growth in them as a result, not just as players but as people?

RO’B: I think so for a few reasons. I think it was pretty humbling for a few of the boys when we went over there.

We did alright as an academy last year and finished at the right end of the table, which shows we were doing well on the field and getting some good results as well as representative honours with Lancashire, Yorkshire and England.

To go over there and play against the best of what Australia has to offer at that age group, especially with that New South Wales team, showed them that there’s a long way to go.

We might be doing well over here but to get to that highest level that a lot of them are striving for, there’s still a long way to go.

It’s given some of them a kick up the backside to make sure they’re doing everything they can to achieve their dream of playing at that top level.

Off the field, they had to do some growing up as well. Some of them had never done their own washing before, or packed their own suitcase. Things like that have accelerated their learning as people.

We’re already seeing the benefits – we had Arron (Lindop) go and make his first-team debut the other week and he gave a great account of himself – but in terms of the way the players carry themselves around the place, a lot of that is down to some of the learning from that tour.

Wire's academy players went on an end-of-season tour to Australia last year (Image: Dave Whalley)

MT: That brings us nicely to Arron Lindop, who acquitted himself brilliantly on his first-team debut in a difficult environment in Perpignan.

It means you’ve got one of your group into the first team before your season has even started but if nothing else, there must have been immense pride to see him out there?

RO’B: It certainly was.

There’s a lot of people at this club who are trying to get as many homegrown players into the first team as possible because ultimately, that’s what we’re judged on.

It’s not just people at the club either – his parents and family, his school and his community club have all played a massive part in helping Arron get to that stage.

He’s going to go on and have a fantastic career as he has loads of potential, but everyone at the club was beaming with pride watching him run out against Catalans.

Arron Lindop celebrates his debut try against Catalans (Image: Joe Richardson)

MT: The wave of youngsters coming through before him featured the likes of Leon Hayes and Adam Holroyd, who are now getting an extended run in the senior side.

That must be great for you in terms of being able to hold those guys up as an inspiration to those under your charge at the moment?

RO’B: It shows there’s a pathway for these boys now and so many people’s hard work is starting to come to fruition.

The whole right edge for the past few games has been homegrown, but those boys are still developing and the best is still to come from them.

It’s good for our boys in the system to look up and see lads who aren’t that much older than them in real terms starting to break through and not just make up the numbers but have an impact on games and results for us.

You can’t be anything other than inspired.

MT: It must be a real motivator for the academy players to see the “if you’re good enough, you’re old enough” attitude that Sam Burgess seems to be adopting with the first team?

RO’B: Exactly – all that does is drive them to keep improving.

I read something the other day that said we’re in the top four for homegrown players in first-team squads this season, so it shows we’re going in the right direction.

Sam’s proving he doesn’t care how old you are, you’ll get your chance if you’re working hard and performing.

It’s more evidence for our boys that they’re at a place where people have made big decisions and they will get their chance if they do the right things.

Recent academy graduate Leon Hayes is currently enjoying an extended run in the first team (Image: Mike Boden)

MT: Ultimately, everybody wants more homegrown players in the first team and for a long time, clubs like Wigan, St Helens and Leeds have been the standard-bearers for that.

Do you think you’re catching them up in that regard?

RO’B: I definitely do.

We took a lot of inspiration from Penrith when we went over to Australia. They have a board in the gym where the junior grades train with a list of 30 players, and they mark a star next to those that are homegrown.

Out of that 30, 24 were homegrown. That’s proof that if you can develop a squad based on players coming through your system, you build a culture, a connection between each other and the badge on your chest means a lot more.

I do think we are catching other clubs up and a big part of that is having Gary Chambers at the top.

He’s leading the strategy on the rugby department and is heavily involved in recruitment. When names are getting pushed to us of established players either from here or overseas, he’s looking at the kids in our system and wants to trust them.

Hopefully as time progresses, the number of homegrown first-teamers we’ve got at the minute is just going to keep progressing.

MT: How valuable has Gary been for you to lean on in your role?

RO’B: He’s been massive and has made the transition pretty seamless.

I bounce ideas off him all the time – he’s always in our office, on the phone to me or down at our training. I don’t know how he does it all!

To have him in the position he’s in and so accessible to me, it’s invaluable and because of that, the future of this place is very bright.

Ryan O'Brien has taken over as head of youth from Gary Chambers, who is now the club's director of rugby (Image: Bob Brough)

MT: How are you finding this new head of youth role? It’s a big position given you’re only 30 and it was around this time last year that you came in as reserves and scholarship coach, so it’s a big jump for you?

RO’B: I’m loving it.

It’s been a whirlwind few months and I didn’t expect to be doing the job I’m doing now six months ago, but it’s such a privilege to try and help these players achieve their dreams.

There’s been quite a bit of change, but things have settled down now and everything seems to be working well.

There’s a lot of connectivity between the pathways and the first team. We can still improve and we know that, but personally I’m loving it.

MT: On the pitch, you were losing Grand Finalists to Saints last year. Is the aim to go one better this year? Or is it difficult to set on-field targets for academy sides?

RO’B: Results are nice but we won’t go searching for results at the expense of developing individual players because ultimately, that is what we’re judged on.

Winning a Grand Final would of course be nice, but everyone forgets about that after a couple of weeks and if we’re not getting those players through, that’s what the powers above will be more bothered about.

Hopefully if we’re developing players properly, results on the field will be positive as well but our main aim is that development.

One thing we’ll do this year is give players an appropriate level of challenge.

Take Arron Lindop for example – he’s still eligible to play for the under 18s, he’s eligible for the reserves and he’s already played for the first team.

There might be some games where we feel Arron may get us some points on the board at academy level and help us get a result in that game, but is it really going to be the right challenge for him? Would he be better training with the reserves that weekend against more physical players and getting challenged in that way?

That then gives a first-year player an opportunity and he might make mistakes and not be as physically dominant as Arron would, but that would accelerate their development also.

That’s the focus we’re going to put on the pathway this year. We still want to develop a winning mentality but it won’t be at the expense of their development.

Tonight's academy season opener against Hull FC at Victoria Park kicks off at 7pm and entry is free for 2024 members.

Non-members can buy tickets on the gate for £5 adults and £2 concessions/under 16s