Chris Melling

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For the pool player, see Chris Melling (pool player).
Chris Melling
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Personal information
Full name Christopher Melling
Nickname Mello, Curtis, Harry Potter
Born (1984-09-21) 21 September 1984 (age 39)
Ashton-in-Makerfield, Greater Manchester, England
Height 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Weight 14 st 7 lb (92 kg) [1]
Playing information
Position Fullback, 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
Source: Rugby League Project

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.

File:Chris Melling.jpg
Melling in action for Harlequins
File:Grayshon & Melling.jpg
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. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "Chris_Melling" defined multiple times with different content
  3. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  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. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  16. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  17. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  18. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  19. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  20. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  21. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  22. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  23. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  24. ↑ 24.0 24.1 Lester, Joanna: "Joanna Lester chats to full back and budding physiotherapist Chris Melling", game on!, Harlequins RL v Wakefield, p41, 14 April 2007

External links

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