Michael Worrincy
Encyclopedia
Michael Worrincy, born 16 February 1986 in Leeds
, West Yorkshire
, is an English
rugby league
player for Penrith Panthers
in the NRL. He is the younger brother of Halifax RLFC
and Welsh international Rob Worrincy
.
2007 has seen Worrincy move into the front row. Brian McDermott
has also used Worrincy as a back-row forward. However his favoured playing position is as a loose forward.
He is of Nigerian and Welsh descent, and was brought up in London.
. Worrincy toured Australia with British Amateur Rugby League Association
U18s. Michael spent the 2005 season further developing his skills whilst on loan with Hull's U21 academy side together with fellow loanee Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook
played an important role in Hull's U21 Grand Final success.
in the 58–16 defeat on 13 May 2006.
Worrincy made his second senior appearance as a substitute on 29 May in a historic 29–28 win against Salford City Reds with Henry Paul
kicking over a drop-goal in the 79th minutes to secure the two points.
On 10 June, Mike traded the number 17 jumper for a starting position in the second row against Warrington
. In an exciting game Worrincy charged on to the ball from 40 yards out and ran brilliantly through the defence to register his first ever four points for the club. Quins RL won 30–28 with Warrington scoring three tries in the last twelve minutes to bring the sides close despite a dominant performance.
Mike's last appearance of the season came in round 22 when Harlequins defeated Hull FC 18–16 in another close game. Similar to Mike's previous appearance the opposition ran in three late tries.
which was an 18–18 draw and played as a starting Prop in the away 26–10 win versus Hull KR
.
Despite these strong performances Worrincy was dropped into the Academy. The club preferred Temata
, Heckenberg
, Mills
and McCarthy-Scarsbrook
as the starting and impact Props. In the second row Lee Hopkins
and Rob Purdham
played almost every game, with Jonny Grayshon
covering that position from the bench. At loose forward perhaps the two highest-earners at the club Scott Hill
and Henry Paul
were competing for a position after both were displaced at half-back by McLinden
and Orr
.
Many Quins supporters were disappointed that Mike was not selected during this period and some were shocked when Brian McDermott
decided to sign Luke Burgess
on loan and play him straightaway. Additionally former Leeds Rhinos
Academy forwards Joe Walsh
and Dave Tootill
started to be named in the twenty-man squad whilst Worrincy was left out.
Given this context, it was a surprise when Worrincy reappeared in rounds 11 and 12 having seemingly drifted out of favour. He started on the bench in the heavy defeats at Huddersfield Giants
on 22 April (46–16) and again on 29 April 2007 (a 6–44 home loss) versus St Helens. These were the two heaviest defeats of the season and Mike quickly found himself out of favour despite it being obvious that others had played poorly.
During his time on the sidelines he obtained his first personal sponsorship in June 2007, with Kate Rammond sponsoring him for home games and Mark Rammond sponsoring him away from home (cited in Harlequins RL matchday program).
A spate of injuries in the side including Purdham, Heckenberg, Paul and Hill saw Michael return to play rounds 15, 16, 17 and 18. He found himself on the bench in the heavy 44–18 loss away at Bradford. However he started at second row for the excellent home win against Wigan Warriors
(18–8). He also featured in the away Rugby League Challenge Cup
defeat at Wigan the following week and then played in the second row for the historic first ever Super League try-less game where Quins lost 5–2 away at Salford City.
He then played against Hull KR as a starting Prop on 30 June 2007 where he was instrumental in the 32–18 win, scoring the first try of the game from five metres out and his own first try of the season. The following Saturday he appeared against Les Catalans
who dominated the early stages of the game with their awesome size and strength combining with gallic flair to dominate the match but ultimately Quins went onto record a 30–22 victory. However, although Mike made the 18 for the following game against Hull FC away he found himself yet again out of favour. Although Quins RL were 8–0 up after only 13 minutes, they consistently gave away penalties to go in 8–8 at the break following four conversions from Danny Tickle
. In the second half Quins conceded further two further tries and scored no points whatsoever despite having four consecutive series of possession followed quickly by another three.
It seems that Quins RL have not always noticed the correlation between the selection of Michael Worrincy and the positivity of the result.
Michael is the younger brother of former Academy star Rob Worrincy, who became a journeyman
in the 2007 season with appearances for Leeds Metropolitan University
, a trial with 2006 Grand Finalists Hull and then returned to Sheffield Eagles
, where his previous final appearance has seemed to be in the National League Grand Final where he scored a length of the field try.
Worrincy's best attribute is his determination and pace. A commanding figure when locking the scrum or in the second row, Michael is a supreme athlete who is both forceful and nimble in the pack. With his good footballing skills, Michael Worrincy is a hugely promising player.
The prop-forward was selected to play for the Harlequins Rugby Union
side for the Middlesex Sevens at Twickenham Stadium
. He guested for club's sister rugby union team in the tournament as Tony Clubb
was called on to replace the unavailable Paul Sykes
in the match against Wigan Warriors
.
. On 12 November 2010, he successfully agreed terms with Penrith and became the 4th former Bull (Sam Burgess
, George Burgess
, Mark Flanagan
and Michael Worrincy) to play in Australia.
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
, West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire is a metropolitan county within the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England with a population of 2.2 million. West Yorkshire came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972....
, is an English
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
rugby league
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
player for Penrith Panthers
Penrith Panthers
The Penrith Panthers are an Australian professional rugby league football team based in the western Sydney suburb of Penrith. They compete in the National Rugby League premiership, the top rugby league football competition in Australasia. For the 2012 NRL season they will be coached by Ivan...
in the NRL. He is the younger brother of Halifax RLFC
Halifax RLFC
Halifax RLFC is one of the most historic rugby league clubs in the game, formed over a century ago, in 1873 in the Yorkshire town of Halifax. Known as 'Fax', the official club colours are blue and white hoops, blue shorts and blue socks . They share The Shay stadium with football club FC Halifax Town...
and Welsh international Rob Worrincy
Rob Worrincy
Rob Worrincy born 9 January 1985 in England is an English-Nigerian rugby league player for Halifax RLFC in the Co-operative Championship, he previously played for Sheffield Eagles in National League One. He plays on the wing...
.
2007 has seen Worrincy move into the front row. Brian McDermott
Brian McDermott
Brian G. McDermott is an English professional rugby league football coach and former player. He started as Head Coach of Harlequins RL of Super League on 8 July 2006 and departs on 4 September 2010.-Biography:...
has also used Worrincy as a back-row forward. However his favoured playing position is as a loose forward.
He is of Nigerian and Welsh descent, and was brought up in London.
Early career
Worrincy was 16 years old when he began playing for the London Broncos academy side after signing from the Greenwich AdmiralsGreenwich Admirals
Greenwich Admirals are a rugby league team based in Greenwich, London. They play in the South Premier of the Rugby League Conference.-History:...
. Worrincy toured Australia with British Amateur Rugby League Association
British Amateur Rugby League Association
The British Amateur Rugby League Association is the governing body for social and recreational rugby league in the United Kingdom...
U18s. Michael spent the 2005 season further developing his skills whilst on loan with Hull's U21 academy side together with fellow loanee Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook
Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook
Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook , is an English professional rugby league footballer for St Helens RLFC of Super League. An England international representative forward, he previously played for Harlequins in his home town of London.-Harlequins:McCarthy-Scarsbrook is a product of the Quins RL Junior...
played an important role in Hull's U21 Grand Final success.
2006 Season
In 2006 Harlequins Rugby League struggled for form and additionally had an injury crisis with 15 players unavailable and there were calls for the clubs best youngsters to appear. Mike Worrincy and Louis McCarthy-Scarsbrook were considered for the home game against Leeds, yet it was two months later before Worrincy finally made his debut for the senior squad after coming off the bench against the Bradford BullsBradford Bulls
Bradford Bulls is a professional rugby league club based in the city of Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. They play in the European Super League and are currently joint 10th in the league....
in the 58–16 defeat on 13 May 2006.
Worrincy made his second senior appearance as a substitute on 29 May in a historic 29–28 win against Salford City Reds with Henry Paul
Henry Paul
Henry Paul , is a dual code rugby international. Paul has previously represented New Zealand in rugby league and England in rugby union XV's and 7's. He currently holds the world record for the most consecutive kicks on the field.Paul's usual position is loose forward/Lock. He can also operate in...
kicking over a drop-goal in the 79th minutes to secure the two points.
On 10 June, Mike traded the number 17 jumper for a starting position in the second row against Warrington
Warrington Wolves
Warrington Wolves are a professional rugby league football club based in Warrington, England that competes in Super League. They play at the Halliwell Jones Stadium, having moved there from Wilderspool in 2003....
. In an exciting game Worrincy charged on to the ball from 40 yards out and ran brilliantly through the defence to register his first ever four points for the club. Quins RL won 30–28 with Warrington scoring three tries in the last twelve minutes to bring the sides close despite a dominant performance.
Mike's last appearance of the season came in round 22 when Harlequins defeated Hull FC 18–16 in another close game. Similar to Mike's previous appearance the opposition ran in three late tries.
2007 season
In the 2007 season, Mike returned from a serious leg injury to play a role in the first three games of the season. He came off the interchange bench against St Helens away on 9 February in a 14–6 win; stayed on the bench for the round two game against Salford City RedsSalford City Reds
Salford City Reds are an English rugby league club based in Salford, Greater Manchester. Formed in 1873, they currently play in the Super League. They have won six Rugby Football League Championships and one Challenge Cup...
which was an 18–18 draw and played as a starting Prop in the away 26–10 win versus Hull KR
Hull Kingston Rovers
Hull Kingston Rovers or Hull KR is an English professional rugby league football club based in Hull, England. The club formed in 1882 and currently competes in Super League, having won promotion from National League One in 2006...
.
Despite these strong performances Worrincy was dropped into the Academy. The club preferred Temata
Karl Temata
Karl Temata is a New Zealand rugby league player. Temata is a Cook Islands international.-Playing career:...
, Heckenberg
Daniel Heckenberg
Daniel Heckenberg is an Australian rugby league player. He currently plays as a for Harlequins Rugby League in the European Super League and is also a Scottish international.-Early career:...
, Mills
David Mills (rugby league footballer)
David Mills is an English professional rugby league footballer for Swinton in the Championship as of autumn 2011. He previously played for Hull Kingston Rovers, and Widnes. He is also a Wales international representative. David Mills' usual position is as a prop-forward.David is the son of 'Big'...
and McCarthy-Scarsbrook
Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook
Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook , is an English professional rugby league footballer for St Helens RLFC of Super League. An England international representative forward, he previously played for Harlequins in his home town of London.-Harlequins:McCarthy-Scarsbrook is a product of the Quins RL Junior...
as the starting and impact Props. In the second row Lee Hopkins
Lee Hopkins
Lee Hopkins, born 17 February 1978 in Sydney, New South Wales, is a retired Australian rugby league player.Hopkins played for London Broncos/Harlequins RL in the European Super League.Lee Hopkins' position of choice is as a ....
and Rob Purdham
Rob Purdham
Rob Purdham is a retired English professional rugby league footballer. An England international representative loose forward, he previously played for Whitehaven and Harlequins. Purdham can also operate as a stand-off, as a centre or in the second row. He has even played international football at...
played almost every game, with Jonny Grayshon
Jon Grayshon
Jon Grayshon is an English rugby league player. Grayshon plays for Featherstone Rovers where he was signed from Harlequins RL in the European Super League. Grayshon has formerly played for Huddersfield Giants, and Batley Bulldogs. In 2009 he spent most of the year on loan at the Widnes Vikings.Jon...
covering that position from the bench. At loose forward perhaps the two highest-earners at the club Scott Hill
Scott Hill (rugby league footballer)
Scott Hill is a retired Australian professional rugby league footballer previously with the Harlequins Rugby League club in the European Super League. His usual position is at stand-off...
and Henry Paul
Henry Paul
Henry Paul , is a dual code rugby international. Paul has previously represented New Zealand in rugby league and England in rugby union XV's and 7's. He currently holds the world record for the most consecutive kicks on the field.Paul's usual position is loose forward/Lock. He can also operate in...
were competing for a position after both were displaced at half-back by McLinden
Mark McLinden
Mark McLinden is an Australian professional rugby union and rugby league player.Mark McLinden plays for the Queensland Reds, in the Super 14. He previously played Rugby League for the Canberra Raiders in the National Rugby League and Harlequins Rugby League in the European Super League.McLinden's...
and Orr
Danny Orr
Danny Orr , is an English rugby league footballer for Castleford in the European Super League. A Great Britain international representative stand-off or scrum half, Orr previously played for Harlequins RL and Wigan.Danny Orr played much of his rugby career for Castleford Tigers, making it into the...
.
Many Quins supporters were disappointed that Mike was not selected during this period and some were shocked when Brian McDermott
Brian McDermott
Brian G. McDermott is an English professional rugby league football coach and former player. He started as Head Coach of Harlequins RL of Super League on 8 July 2006 and departs on 4 September 2010.-Biography:...
decided to sign Luke Burgess
Luke Burgess (rugby league)
Luke Burgess is an English rugby league footballer currently playing for Australian NRL side South Sydney RabbitohsBorn in Wakefield, he played for the Leeds Rhinos having previously been on loan to Harlequins RL and Doncaster...
on loan and play him straightaway. Additionally former Leeds Rhinos
Leeds Rhinos
Leeds Rhinos is an English professional rugby league football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire. The club won the 2011 Super League and became the most successful club in the Super League era, beating St Helens 32-16 on 8th October 2011. Formed in 1890, Leeds competes in Europe's Super League...
Academy forwards Joe Walsh
Joe Walsh (rugby league)
Joe Walsh is a professional rugby league player.He was born in Saddleworth, Oldham, Greater Manchester, and is a former Rishworth school pupil....
and Dave Tootill
David Tootill
David Tootill is an English rugby league player. Tootill plays for Harlequins RL in the European Super League. He was previously with the Leeds Rhinos....
started to be named in the twenty-man squad whilst Worrincy was left out.
Given this context, it was a surprise when Worrincy reappeared in rounds 11 and 12 having seemingly drifted out of favour. He started on the bench in the heavy defeats at Huddersfield Giants
Huddersfield Giants
Huddersfield Giants are a professional rugby league club from Huddersfield, West Yorkshire who play in the European Super League competition. They play their home games at the Galpharm Stadium which is shared with Huddersfield Town F.C....
on 22 April (46–16) and again on 29 April 2007 (a 6–44 home loss) versus St Helens. These were the two heaviest defeats of the season and Mike quickly found himself out of favour despite it being obvious that others had played poorly.
During his time on the sidelines he obtained his first personal sponsorship in June 2007, with Kate Rammond sponsoring him for home games and Mark Rammond sponsoring him away from home (cited in Harlequins RL matchday program).
A spate of injuries in the side including Purdham, Heckenberg, Paul and Hill saw Michael return to play rounds 15, 16, 17 and 18. He found himself on the bench in the heavy 44–18 loss away at Bradford. However he started at second row for the excellent home win against Wigan Warriors
Wigan Warriors
Wigan Warriors is an English rugby league club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester. The club's first team squad competes in the engage Super League and the team are the current Challenge Cup holders as of the 27th August 2011....
(18–8). He also featured in the away Rugby League Challenge Cup
Challenge Cup
The Challenge Cup is a knockout cup competition for rugby league clubs organised by the Rugby Football League. Originally it was contested only by British teams but in recent years has been expanded to allow teams from France and Russia to take part....
defeat at Wigan the following week and then played in the second row for the historic first ever Super League try-less game where Quins lost 5–2 away at Salford City.
He then played against Hull KR as a starting Prop on 30 June 2007 where he was instrumental in the 32–18 win, scoring the first try of the game from five metres out and his own first try of the season. The following Saturday he appeared against Les Catalans
Catalans Dragons
The Catalans Dragons are a French professional rugby league club based in Perpignan, Pyrénées-Orientales. They currently play in the Super League, and are the only team in the competition from outside of the United Kingdom...
who dominated the early stages of the game with their awesome size and strength combining with gallic flair to dominate the match but ultimately Quins went onto record a 30–22 victory. However, although Mike made the 18 for the following game against Hull FC away he found himself yet again out of favour. Although Quins RL were 8–0 up after only 13 minutes, they consistently gave away penalties to go in 8–8 at the break following four conversions from Danny Tickle
Danny Tickle
Danny Tickle, is an English professional rugby league footballer for Hull of Super League. His usual position is in the .-Playing career:...
. In the second half Quins conceded further two further tries and scored no points whatsoever despite having four consecutive series of possession followed quickly by another three.
It seems that Quins RL have not always noticed the correlation between the selection of Michael Worrincy and the positivity of the result.
Michael is the younger brother of former Academy star Rob Worrincy, who became a journeyman
Journeyman (sports)
A journeyman or journeywoman is an athlete or professional sports player who is technically competent, but unable to excel. In certain parts of the world the term has less negative connotations and the inability to excel is not needed for a player to be labelled thus.-Definitions:Alexandra Allred...
in the 2007 season with appearances for Leeds Metropolitan University
Leeds Metropolitan University
Leeds Metropolitan University is a British University with three campuses. Two are situated in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England while the third is situated in Bhopal, India...
, a trial with 2006 Grand Finalists Hull and then returned to Sheffield Eagles
Sheffield Eagles
Sheffield Eagles RLFC are an English rugby league club based in the South Yorkshire city of Sheffield. They currently play in the Co-operative Championship. Their home games are played at Bramall Lane after leaving Don Valley Stadium in late 2009....
, where his previous final appearance has seemed to be in the National League Grand Final where he scored a length of the field try.
Worrincy's best attribute is his determination and pace. A commanding figure when locking the scrum or in the second row, Michael is a supreme athlete who is both forceful and nimble in the pack. With his good footballing skills, Michael Worrincy is a hugely promising player.
The prop-forward was selected to play for the Harlequins Rugby Union
Harlequin F.C.
The Harlequin Football Club is an English rugby union team who play in the top level of English rugby, the Aviva Premiership. Their ground in London is Twickenham Stoop...
side for the Middlesex Sevens at Twickenham Stadium
Twickenham Stadium
Twickenham Stadium is a stadium located in Twickenham, in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. It is the largest rugby union stadium in the United Kingdom and has recently been enlarged to seat 82,000...
. He guested for club's sister rugby union team in the tournament as Tony Clubb
Tony Clubb
Tony Clubb is an English professional rugby league footballer for Harlequins RL of Super League. An England international representative centre, he has played his whole professional career to date with the Harlequins....
was called on to replace the unavailable Paul Sykes
Paul Sykes (rugby league footballer)
Paul Sykes is an English professional rugby league footballer for the Bradford Bulls of Europe's Super League competition.Sykes' position of choice is at Right-. He has for most of his career operated at...
in the match against Wigan Warriors
Wigan Warriors
Wigan Warriors is an English rugby league club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester. The club's first team squad competes in the engage Super League and the team are the current Challenge Cup holders as of the 27th August 2011....
.
2010
On 12 November 2010 it was announced Michael had signed for Penrith PanthersPenrith Panthers
The Penrith Panthers are an Australian professional rugby league football team based in the western Sydney suburb of Penrith. They compete in the National Rugby League premiership, the top rugby league football competition in Australasia. For the 2012 NRL season they will be coached by Ivan...
. On 12 November 2010, he successfully agreed terms with Penrith and became the 4th former Bull (Sam Burgess
Sam Burgess
Sam Burgess is an English professional rugby league footballer for the South Sydney Rabbitohs of the National Rugby League...
, George Burgess
George Burgess (rugby league)
George Burgess is a professional English rugby league footballer for the South Sydney Rabbitohs of the NRL who plays the position of Prop or Second Row...
, Mark Flanagan
Mark Flanagan
Mark Flanagan may refer to:* Mark Flanagan , Welsh television actor* Mark Flanagan, the Queen's chef of the Royal Kitchens* Mark Flanagan , British blues guitarist* Mark Flanagan , English rugby league player...
and Michael Worrincy) to play in Australia.