England World Cup hopeful Harry Robertson has urged the next generation of potential Super League stars to “embrace” what’s to come as the 2026 Academy Origin series gets underway this weekend.
Lancashire take on Yorkshire in Game One at Warrington Wolves’ Halliwell Jones Stadium on Sunday (1pm KO).
Some of the country’s best young talent will be in action and St Helens ace Robertson knows the scenario well, having played in the fixture on his own journey through the England Pathways system.
Robertson, 20, who is in Brian McDermott’s performance squad preparing for the World Cup down under this autumn, is a big fan of the process.
He said: “It's great. For most players, it's your first taste of a professional environment.
“You're still training at night but you get to train at good facilities, play at a good stadium and get to train with some of the best coaches there is around that age group.
“It’s definitely an important step up. I played for Lancashire and faced the best players Yorkshire had.
“It’s probably one of the hardest games you'll play as a young person and this final series, where you are up against the best, is good preparation as, obviously, that's what Super League is like: facing the best on a regular basis.”
Both squads are training at Leeds Beckett University this week in readiness for the two-game series, the second match coming at Castleford Tigers’ OneBore Stadium on Saturday September 26 (1pm KO).
Current Lancashire coach Shane Eccles, the Wigan Warriors head of youth, was Robertson’s coach when he played in 2023.
Robertson said: “He and Paul Anderson, the Head of England Pathways, were both massive (influences).
“Shane was in charge at Lancashire and Paul came in and did a few sessions, too.
“I also had Paul with England Academy. The effort they put into the whole [Origin] camp and making sure that you go through stuff as if we were a first-team player is great.
“It's your first taste of that as a young lad and I feel like it excites you. It drives you because that's what you want in life.
“You want to go and do that again and getting that little taster for a week – or two with England - boosts you on in your career.”
Utility back Robertson, who was voted Betfred Super League Young Player of the Year last season, has enjoyed a stunning rise early in his career.
Six St Helens club-mates now have the chance to make their own mark in the Academy Origin – each hoping to follow his route to the top.
Jack Campbell, Tyler McGann, Tyler Mills, James Patterson, Oscar Knox and Toby Bottell are all in the frame to represent Lancashire.
Asked if he had any words of advice for them, Robertson said: “I'd say just enjoy it.
“Embrace the whole experience. Some of them have been training professionally with us already in the first-team so I’ve seen what they can do.
“It’s a big game but I’ll tell them to go make a name for themselves.
“I loved the experience myself. We beat Yorkshire quite convincingly and we had some great players in there.”
Robertson played alongside the likes of Wigan Warriors’ Noah Hodkinson and later Lance Todd Trophy winner Jack Farrimond plus Saints team-mates George Whitby and Owen Dagnall three years ago.
Yorkshire also featured players who have gone on to make their mark in Super League: Warrington Wolves’ Cai Taylor-Wray, Wakefield Trinity hooker Harvey Smith and Hull KR half-back Jack Charles.
