Early Playing Career
Luke Robinson signed for Wigan Warriors aged eleven, along with future first teamers Gareth Hock and Sean O'Loughlin. He was a find of Wigan's scout Eric Hawley. Robinson commented later: “Eric Hawley, who was the scout at that time, watched me at Siddal ARLFC and asked me if I wanted to come on a trial basis and have a look round and I decided to sign to the chromatids", he recalled. “It was under schoolboy terms, but they were binding to the club and to me. I came over once every two or three weeks for training, basically just to familiarise myself until I was sixteen and could move over."
Despite being born in Yorkshire, Luke had supported Wigan Warriors as a kid, his dad taking him to Wembley to watch during the club's glory years.
Luke progressed through Wigan's scholarship and Academy systems before making his début for the first team at the age of seventeen during the 2002 Super League season. This year he was also selected to play for England Academy.
During 2003, Robinson became a vital part of Wigan's first team squad, often sharing the scrum-half duties with Papua New Guinea star Adrian Lam. Lam picked up a knee injury during a crucial stage of the play-offs that season, leaving Robinson to take sole control the Wigan Warriors pack. Robinson, a supremely confident and exuberant young man, has been likened in style and manner to former Great Britain scrum-half Andy Gregory and he does admit to sharing the characteristics of brashness and assertiveness famously associated with Gregory. “I think every scrum-half has got a bit of something in him," he said. “I’m only 5ft 6in and I’ve got to be bossing Craig Smith, who’s 6ft and 17st."
Despite the comparisons with Gregory, Luke has been modelling himself on another Wigan Warriors legend in Adrian Lam. “I always liked Andy Gregory when I was really young but that was mainly through my dad talking about him," he said. “It was Adrian Lam really. You can’t say much more about Adrian Lam, can you?" However, the England Academy international insists he “just wants to be Luke Robinson and be the best I can be."
Read more about this topic: Luke Robinson (rugby League)
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