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Pat Richards

Personal information
Full name	Patrick Richards
Born	(1982-02-27) 27 February 1982 (age 43) Liverpool, New South Wales, Australia
Playing information
Height	192 cm (6 ft 4 in)
Weight	99 kg (15 st 8 lb)
Position	Wing, Fullback, Centre
Club Years Team Pld T G FG P 2000–03 Parramatta Eels 37 14 4 0 64 2004–05 Wests Tigers 39 26 0 0 104 2006–13 Wigan Warriors 244 167 898 4 2468 2014–15 Wests Tigers 43 26 118 2 342 2016 Catalans Dragons 21 9 76 0 188 Total 384 242 1096 6 3166 Representative Years Team Pld T G FG P 2008–13 Ireland 7 3 11 0 34 2011–13 Exiles 2 0 3 0 6

Pat Richards, born on February 27, 1982, is a former professional rugby league player. He represented Ireland internationally. Pat played for clubs like the Parramatta Eels and the Wests Tigers in Australia's National Rugby League. He helped the Wests Tigers win the 2005 NRL Premiership. Later, he played for the Wigan Warriors and the Catalans Dragons in the Super League in Europe. With Wigan, he won the 2010 and 2013 Super League Grand Finals. In 2010, Richards also won the prestigious Man of Steel award. He holds the record for the most points scored by an overseas player in Super League history.

Early Life and Rugby Beginnings

Pat Richards was born in Liverpool, New South Wales, Australia. His parents were from Ireland. He went to St Therese Primary School and Westfields Sports High School. As a young player, he played junior rugby league for the Cabramatta club. Before focusing on rugby league, Pat was also a talented cricketer.

Club Career Highlights

Playing for Parramatta Eels (2000–2003)

Richards started his professional career with the Parramatta Eels. He played for them from 2000 to 2003. In 2001, he could not play in the grand final because he broke his leg. After the 2003 season, Pat moved to the Wests Tigers. His coach at Parramatta told him he was not needed for the next season.

Success with Wests Tigers (2004–2005)

Pat Richards had a very successful 2005 season with the Wests Tigers. He scored 20 tries that season, which was a club record at the time. His powerful drop kicks and kick-offs were very important. They helped his team get into good attacking positions during their championship year.

Winning the 2005 NRL Grand Final

Richards had an ankle injury the week before the 2005 NRL Grand Final. However, he was cleared to play against the North Queensland Cowboys. A memorable moment was when Richards scored a try from a clever pass by Benji Marshall. This helped the Wests Tigers win the game. Pat later shared that he needed several injections to numb his ankle and knee to play.

Time with Wigan Warriors (2006–2013)

Joining Wigan and Early Years (2006-2009)

In June 2005, Richards signed a two-year contract with Wigan Warriors. He joined them for the 2006 and 2007 seasons. Pat said he felt Wigan was the right club for him. He noted that they were building a strong team. Wigan's coach, Ian Millward, praised Pat's height and strong kicking game. Because Pat had an Irish EU passport, he did not count as an overseas player for Wigan.

Pat began his Wigan career playing as a centre, not his usual wing position. He scored 12 tries and kicked 12 goals in 25 games in 2006. Some people thought his coach was playing him out of position. When a new coach, Brian Noble, took over, he immediately moved Pat back to the wing. Pat never played centre again. In 2007, he became Wigan's main goal kicker. He quickly became very good at it.

Richards playing for Wigan in 2008

On September 21, 2007, Pat kicked a crucial drop goal. This gave Wigan a 31–30 win over Bradford Bulls. It was the biggest comeback in Super League history at that time. In 2008, Richards was named Wigan's Player of the Season. He scored 19 tries and 375 points, making him the top points scorer in Super League that year. He signed a new three-year deal with Wigan in mid-2008.

International Play for Ireland

Richards decided to play for the Ireland in the 2008 Rugby League World Cup. He was named in Ireland's training squad in August 2008. In October 2008, he was part of the final 24-man Ireland squad. He played a big role in the tournament. In Ireland's win over Samoa on November 5, Pat scored 22 of the team's 34 points. This included three tries. Richards continued to play well for Wigan in 2009. He was also chosen to play for Ireland in the 2009 European Cup.

Later Years and Awards (2010-2013)

Pat Richards' try-scoring and accurate kicking were key for Wigan in 2010. He often played as a full-back when other players were injured. Later, he returned to his preferred wing position. Pat Richards was the first Australian player to score over 1,000 points for the Wigan Warriors club. On February 27, 2010, he scored 5 tries and kicked 9 goals against Catalans Dragons. Wigan won that game 58–0. His 38 points in that match were the most by a Wigan player in the Super League era.

On September 3, 2010, Richards matched the record for most points in a regular Super League season. He scored 14 points against Bradford Bulls, reaching Andrew Farrell's 388 points. Later that month, Richards was nominated for the prestigious Man-of-Steel award.

Richards playing for the Wigan Warriors

Pat won the Man-of-Steel award on September 27, 2010. He also shared the Albert Goldthorpe Medal with teammate Sam Tomkins. This award recognized him as the Super League player of the 2010 season. Richards scored a total of 462 points in the 2010 season. This set a new club record at Wigan. He played in the 2010 Super League Grand Final victory over St. Helens.

Richards' 2011 season started late. He had an Achilles tendon injury from the 2010 Grand Final. His first game in 2011 was in Round 9 against Catalans Dragons. He kicked four goals in that game. He scored his first tries of the season during the Easter period. This included two tries against St Helens.

Pat Richards was chosen for the Exiles squad in 2011. This team played against England in the first International Origin Match. Richards played on the wing in the 2011 Challenge Cup Final. Wigan won this final against the Leeds Rhinos at Wembley Stadium. He kicked 4 goals in that match.

On April 26, 2013, he signed a two-year deal to return to the Wests Tigers in Australia. He said he loved his time with Wigan but felt it was time to go back home. He played in the 2013 Challenge Cup Final victory over Hull F.C. at Wembley Stadium. He also played in the 2013 Super League Grand Final victory over the Warrington Wolves at Old Trafford.

Pat Richards finished his time at Wigan as their third all-time points scorer (2468 points). He was also their third all-time goal scorer (898 goals). He was the top Super League try scorer for Wigan (146 tries). He won two Grand Finals, two Challenge Cups, and a League Leaders Shield. He also won the Man of Steel award in 2010.

Return to Wests Tigers (2014–2015)

Richards scored a try with his first touch of the ball in his return to the Wests Tigers. He contributed 12 points in that game. In his second game, he scored two tries and kicked seven goals. He also kicked a very long 72-meter drop-out. Early in the season, Richards was the top point-scorer in the competition. He finished the year as the club's top try-scorer and point-scorer.

In Round 5 of the 2015 season, Richards scored a try and set up two others. This was his 100th NRL game. One amazing moment was when he set up a try for James Tedesco. Richards ran down the sideline, staying in bounds by just a tiny bit. When tackled, he managed a quick chip-kick with his left foot. Tedesco caught it and scored a surprising try. He was the first NRL winger to set up two tries with kicks since Hazem El Masri in 2005.

In a Round 8 match against the Bulldogs, Richards kicked a penalty goal from near the sideline. It was 54 meters from the tryline. Richards said he knew he had the power to kick it that far. He just needed to be accurate. In the first eight rounds of 2015, Richards scored 8 tries, 22 goals, and 1 field-goal. He was the competition's leading point-scorer.

In Round 22 of the 2015 NRL season, Richards became the first Australian player in the modern era to kick 1000 goals. He finished the regular season as one of the top scorers in the competition.

Playing for Catalans Dragons (2016)

Richards joined Catalans Dragons for the 2016 Super League season. He played 21 games and scored 188 points for the club. At the end of the 2016 season, he announced his retirement from rugby league.

International Career

Pat Richards was born in Australia. However, he was able to play for Ireland because his parents were Irish. He played for Ireland in the 2008 and 2013 World Cup tournaments. He also played in the 2009 European Cup.

Richards playing for Ireland at the 2008 RLWC

Honours and Awards

Team Achievements

• NRL Major Premiership
  • Winners: 2005 (with Wests Tigers)
  • Runner-up: 2001 (with Parramatta Eels)
• NRL Minor Premiership
  • Winners: 2001 (with Parramatta Eels)

• Super League
  • Winners (2): 2010, 2013 (with Wigan Warriors)
• League Leaders' Shield
  • Winners (2): 2010, 2012 (with Wigan Warriors)
  • Runner-up (1): 2011 (with Wigan Warriors)
• Challenge Cup
  • Winners (2): 2011, 2013 (with Wigan Warriors)
• World Club Challenge
  • Runner-up (1): 2011 (with Wigan Warriors)

Individual Awards

• Man of Steel:
  • Winners (1): 2010
• Super League Dream Team
  • Winners (1): 2010
• RLWBA Player of the Year:
  • Winners (1): 2010
• Albert Goldthorpe Medal:
  • Winners (1): 2010
• Wigan Warriors Player of the Year
  • Winners (2): 2008, 2010