O'Loughlin heir apparent to renowned dynasty

Faces to follow in 2003: The latest in a Wigan family line looks set to uphold tradition

His dad played 260 games for the club, his uncle even more. His brother-in-law is the current captain. Sean O'Loughlin is as close as you get to being Wigan rugby league royalty.

Last year was a dramatic one for O'Loughlin. He made his first-team debut, going on to start five games and come off the bench 16 times, and played for England A and captained them on their tour of Fiji and Samoa. Not bad for a lad who has just turned 20, but, unless everyone is very wrong, it is just the start of an illustrious career. There are many at Wigan who believe he will be their regular stand-off before next season is over, although the Australian incumbent, Julian O'Neill, might have something still to say about that.

Looking further ahead, the national coach, David Waite, is adamant he will one day captain Great Britain.

"The kid has got the world at his feet," says John Kear, who, as assistant at Wigan and England A coach, has seen as much of him as anyone. "He made a real impact for Wigan last year and on tour he was an outstanding leader. He's got a great range of skills. He's got really soft hands for short passing, or he can throw the ball long to change the direction of attacks. He's working hard on his kicking game and, defensively, he's already one of the best young players we've got.

"Although he's Andy Farrell's brother-in-law, the player I'd most compare him with is Paul Sculthorpe," Kear suggests. The Wigan and Great Britain captain has undeniably been an influence on O'Loughlin's rapid development. "I've known him since I was about nine, when he first started going out with my sister," he says. "Now I'm playing with him, he gives me a lot of advice."

But O'Loughlin's rugby pedigree goes back a lot further. His father, Keiron, was a classy centre for Wigan and Widnes; his uncle, Kevin, was the ultimate utility player, appearing everywhere from full-back to prop in a 12-year career with his home-town club. "I can't really remember seeing my dad play," says O'Loughlin, "but I know what a good player he was and he's been a big help to me as well."

All that would count for little if the younger O'Loughlin could not perform on his own account, but his early appearances for Wigan have been notable for the confidence with which he has come onto the field and immediately started to try things.

"That's what I think you have to do when you come on as a substitute, try to do something to lift the players around you," he says.

Occasionally, he can try a little too hard. "You can have all the skills," says Kear. "What you have to know is the time and place to use them. There was one incident on tour when he threw a pass that he shouldn't and it cost us four points, but he will have learnt from that."

Another learning experience was getting sent off in Fiji for what he maintains was nothing more than a good, ball-and-all tackle. "I went along to the disciplinary hearing and nobody turned up, so that was a lesson in the strange things that can happen on tour," he says.

Nobody who has seen him play expects O'Loughlin's international career to end there. "The things that people have been saying about me could put pressure on me," he admits. "When people in positions like that have those sort of expectations, you've got to work hard to justify them.

"I'm hoping for a regular place in the Wigan side this season, but a lot of that depends on how the team starts the season. There are a lot of good, young, local players making their way in the side, including Sean Briscoe, who I played with all through the schools teams, so that makes it easier for all of us," O'Loughlin points out.

There is indeed a remarkable crop of young talent at Wigan, including five members of the England Academy side that recently beat the Australian Schoolboys. But, if breeding and natural ability count for anything, Sean O'Loughlin could prove the pick of them.