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Chris Melling (rugby league)

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For the pool player, see Chris Melling (pool player).
Chris Melling
Personal information
Full nameChristopher Melling
Born (1984-09-21) 21 September 1984 (age 40)
Ashton-in-Makerfield, Greater Manchester, England
Height5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Weight14 st 7 lb (92 kg) [1]
Playing information
PositionFullback, Wing, Loose forward
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
2004–06 Wigan Warriors 13 3 17 0 46
2007–13 Harlequins/London Broncos 162 41 9 0 180
Total 175 44 26 0 226
Representative
Years Team Pld T G FG P
2007 Great Britain 1 0 0 0 0
As of 15 February 2012

Chris Melling (born 21 September 1984) is an English rugby league player for London Broncos in the European Super League. His position of choice is as a Fullback. He can also operate on the Wing or at Hooker and has on occasion played in the Centres, at Stand-off/Five-eighth, Loose forward/Lock and in the Second-row. He is a Great Britain international.

Melling in action for Harlequins
Chris Melling (right) in defence with Jon Grayshon

Early career

Chris Melling attended Byrchall High School and played junior rugby league for the Ashton and Hindley junior clubs.[2] Melling is a youth level international for England, touring Australia and New Zealand with England Under 16s in 2001 and also representing England's U18 Academy.[2][3]

Wigan Warriors

Melling is a former Wigan Senior Academy captain who made several appearance for the Wigan first team.

In 2004's Super League IX it had seemed that Melling's career was in doubt following a serious knee injury suffered playing for Wigan against Leeds at Headingley.[4] Melling had been seen as a future star before having his season ended by a cruciate ligament injury.[5]

Upon his return to first team action in 2005's Super League X Chris made a further 10 first grade appearances for the JJB club before picking up another knee injury requiring further surgery.[2]

Melling returned to full fitness in 2006, but found first team opportunities limited, due to the emergence of Chris Ashton at the club.[6] Chris Melling moved into the Hooker role in Wigan's academy, impressing enough to be voted as the U'21 Academy 'Player of the Year' for 2006.[7]

He left Wigan to pursue regular first team football.

Harlequins RL

Melling was initially signed as a back-up hooker to Chad Randall,[8] however the Great Britain international has made Fullback position his own. He has been compared to Wade McKinnon with the youngster being defensively solid and dependable, with an eye for a gap bringing the ball out in attack.[9] His move to Harlequins was to have seen the youngster undergo a positional change with a move to hooker.[10] He had been previously employed throughout the backline, with most of his first team appearances coming as an outside back.

Melling has impressed in 2007,[11] starting games at full-back and throughout the backline and scoring four tries. In May 2007 Chris Melling agreed to a new two-year deal with Harlequins Rugby League, midway through his first season at the Twickenham Stoop.[12] This will keep Melling in the capital until 2009.[13] He is seen as the emerging star at the Harlequins, with Harlequins RL investing in young British talent.[14]

Representative football

In June 2007 Melling was called up to the Great Britain squad[15][16][17] and was Fullback in the Test match against France.[18] He was joined in the Great Britain Test side by Harlequins teammate Paul Sykes.[19] Melling made his Great Britain début in the 42-14 victory over the French on 22 June 2007, despite carrying an injury.[20][21][22]

Away from football

Melling is a qualified Physiotherapist after studying at the University of Central Lancashire in Preston,[23] graduating in June 2006.[24] Melling hopes to set up his own physiotherapy practise in the future.[24]

References

  1. ^ "Harlequins Rugby League". web page. Harlequins Rugby League. 2011. Retrieved 13 June 2011.
  2. ^ a b c "Chris Melling". Quins. Retrieved 19 April 2010. Cite error: The named reference "Chris Melling" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  3. ^ "Langley Leads GB to Victory". Bradford. 9 December 2002. Retrieved 22 July 2007.
  4. ^ "Leeds 36-24 Wigan". BBC. 19 March 2004. Retrieved 29 May 2007.
  5. ^ "Wigan duo agree fresh deals". BBC. 25 August 2004. Retrieved 13 July 2007.
  6. ^ Hadfield, Dave (8 June 2007). "Melling ready to make Wigan pay again for mistake". London: Independent. Retrieved 22 July 2007.
  7. ^ "League Playing squad 2006/2007". Quins. 22 July 2007. Archived from the original on 30 September 2007. Retrieved 22 July 2007.
  8. ^ "Harlequins swoop for British trio". BBC. 21 September 2006. Retrieved 13 June 2007.
  9. ^ "Sykes and Melling make the GB squad". Quins. 20 June 2007. Retrieved 21 June 2007.
  10. ^ "Quins land young British trio". Quins RL. 21 September 2006. Retrieved 13 June 2007.
  11. ^ Gordos, Phil (15 June 2007). "Melling call-up a sign of the times". BBC. Retrieved 15 June 2007.
  12. ^ "New deal for Melling". Quins.co.uk. 29 May 2007. Retrieved 29 May 2007.
  13. ^ Lester, Joanna: "Joanna Lester chats to two stars who are particularly familiar with today's opposition...", game on!, Harlequins RL v Wigan Warriors, p41, 2 June 2007
  14. ^ "Club-by-club guide: Harlequins". Sportinglife. 22 July 2007. Retrieved 22 July 2007.
  15. ^ "Eight new faces in Lions squad". BBC. 12 June 2007. Retrieved 12 June 2007.
  16. ^ "Melling and Sykes named in GB squad". Quins RL. 13 June 2007. Retrieved 13 June 2007.
  17. ^ "What our GB player has to say". Quins RL. 13 June 2007. Retrieved 13 June 2007.
  18. ^ "New-look GB select five new caps". BBC. 20 June 2007. Retrieved 20 June 2007.
  19. ^ "Melling and Sykes to play at Headingley". Quins. 20 June 2007. Retrieved 20 June 2007.
  20. ^ "Great Britain 42-14 France". BBC. 22 June 2007. Retrieved 24 June 2007.
  21. ^ "Hungry Lions Please Smith". SportingLife. 22 June 2007. Retrieved 24 June 2007.
  22. ^ Wilson, Andy (23 June 2007). "Morley finally gets on scoresheet as Smith's new-look turn up trumps". London: Guardian. Retrieved 21 July 2007.
  23. ^ "Wigan Player Profile". Wigan. 22 July 2007. Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 22 July 2007.
  24. ^ a b Lester, Joanna: "Joanna Lester chats to full back and budding physiotherapist Chris Melling", game on!, Harlequins RL v Wakefield, p41, 14 April 2007


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