page_title: Pat Richards
section_title: 2006-2009
hierarchical_section_title: Pat Richards / Professional playing career / Wigan (2006–2013) / 2006-2009
caption_attribution_description: English: Pat Richards
context_page_description: Pat Richards is a former professional rugby league footballer. An Ireland international representative winger, he played in the National Rugby League for Sydney clubs the Parramatta Eels and the Wests Tigers, with whom he won the 2005 NRL Premiership, and the Wigan Warriors and the Catalans Dragons in the Super League, winning the 2010 and 2013 Super League Grand Finals with the former. While in Super League, Richards won the Man of Steel award in 2010 and is the highest overseas points-scorer in the competition's history.
context_section_description: Richards signed a two-year contract with Wigan for the 2006 and 2007 seasons in June 2005. Speaking from Sydney on the day of his signing for Wigan, Pat Richards said, "I had three enquiries from leading Super League clubs but I feel sure that Wigan is the club for me. They are strengthening well for next year and Ian Millward is a very successful coach. I am looking forward to joining the club." Head Coach Ian Millward also commented, "Pat is the ideal player for the modern game. He is over 6 feet tall, fields high balls very well and has a special and powerful kicking game. In keeping with the modern game he gives us cover for several positions. He also has an Irish background and he may bring a bit of the Irish luck with him." Because of his Irish EU passport he did not count in Wigan's overseas quota.
  He started his Wigan career playing in the centre rather than his usually position of wing. He scored 12 tries and kicked 12 goals in 25 appearance during the 2006 season but there was some criticism of Wigan coach Ian Millward for playing him out of position as it was clear that Richards was not suited to playing at centre. After Ian Millward was sacked, incoming coach Brian Noble immediately moved him to the wing, where he scored a brace of tries in a thrashing of Huddersfield Giants. Richards never played centre again . At the start of 2007 he was given the squad number 5 and was also promoted to first goal kicker after the other goal kickers, Michael Dobson, Danny Orr and Wayne Godwin left Wigan at the end of 2006. Despite not previously being a regular goal kicker, Pat quickly developed the skills. After 27 appearances in 2007 he scored 14 tries, kicked 103 goals and was Man-of-the-Match 4 times. Mid-way through the season, Richards was moved to full back after Michael Withers' retirement.
  On 21 September 2007 he kicked the vital drop goal to give Wigan a 31-30 win over Bradford Bulls. It completed the biggest comeback in Super League history.
  In 2008, Richards was the Wigan Player of the Season scoring 19 tries and getting a total of 375 points in one season meaning he was the top points scorer in Super League that year as he was the previous year. He also signed a new 3-year deal with Wigan mid-2008 stating he and his family were settled at the club and loved the town.
  Richards made himself available for Ireland's 2008 Rugby League World Cup campaign.
  In August 2008, Richards was named in the Ireland training squad for the 2008 Rugby League World Cup, and in October 2008 he was named in the final 24-man Ireland squad. He featured prominently in the tournament; in Ireland's win over Samoa on 5 November, Richards scored 22 of the team's 34 points, including three tries.
  Richards continued to be a stand out performer for Wigan in 2009 and was again selected to play for Ireland in the 2009 European Cup.
caption: Richards playing for Wigan in 2008
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