Salford's Joe Shorrocks has 'no fears or regrets' ahead of Wigan return
Joe Shorrocks is out to create more shocks with red-hot Salford.
The loose forward helped Paul Rowley’s side win at St Helens for the first time in 44 years on Friday. And next, he’s out to down Super League and World Club champions Wigan - the beloved hometown club he left in the off-season.
Shorrocks, 24, had spent his entire career with Warriors but has no regrets about his decision even if things will be slightly surreal on Thursday night.
Ahead of a first meeting with his former team-mates, he said: “It will be a bit weird. I’ll treat it just as a normal game but obviously, it’s got added edge to it because I spent nine years at Wigan. I’ll now be playing against a lot of my good friends like Harry Smith, Kaide Ellis, Jai [Field], Abbas [Miski] and Marshy [Liam Marshall].
“All of them really. Although I’m sure it’ll be Harry who’ll try to take my head off! But we don‘t fear playing them. It will be a challenge. They're a very good team and have shown that so far this season. We relish the opportunity to play them - and hopefully come away with another result like St Helens.”
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Multi-talented Shorrocks, who was on the books of Preston North End FC and Lancashire CCC as a kid, played 72 games for Wigan after making his debut in 2019. But he became the club’s Mr Versatile and struggled to nail down a regular spot when all he desperately wanted was to be their No13. Ironically, though, Wigan’s England loose forward Morgan Smithies left for Canberra this season.
But Shorrocks, hoping to end Salford's nine-game losing run against Wigan, explained: “I asked [to leave] before knowing Morgan was definitely leaving. Once I knew Morgan was going I didn’t want to stay and be put in the same position for another year, not playing. I didn’t want to chance it.
Salford's Joe Shorrocks celebrates his side's victory over Hull KR (Olly Hassell/SWpix.com)"Obviously Kaide Ellis is playing there now so I’d have just been in the same boat. It was very disappointing not to play the role I wanted. But there are some good players there. Morgan was doing really well. And it felt best for me to come to Salford so I could learn that position more and play in it more. I’m really happy I did.”
Paul Rowley’s side were written off after losing stars like Brodie Croft, Andy Ackers, Joe Burgess and Ken Sio for 2024. But they are seeking a fourth straight win when Matt Peet's star-studded team visit on Thursday. Shorrocks, one of EIGHT former Wigan players in their squad, said: “We’ve won three out of four and we feel it should be all four. We feel we’re flying high. We’ve got some big tests with Wigan and then Hull KR in the Challenge Cup. But we showed what we can do against Saints.”
Meanwhile, Salford have signed Warrington prop Gil Dudson on a season-long loan and he's straight into contention to face one of his previous clubs Wigan. The Wales international, 33, has been out of favour with Wolves boss Sam Burgess. He had a two-year spell at Salford, playing in the 2019 Super League Grand Final, before switching to Catalans ahead of 2021.
Rowley made a move after an injury to ex-Leeds front-row Brad Singleton. Warrington have subsequently recalled another of their props Joe Bullock from a loan stint at Hull. Rowley said: “I’m very happy to welcome Gil back to the club. He’s a very intelligent footballer and gives us much needed reinforcements to our middle unit.”
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