- Pat Richards
Infobox rugby league biography
playername = Pat Richards
fullname = Patrick Richards
nickname = Pat The Man, Paaaaat, Cliff
image_size = 250px
caption =
country =
position = Full-back / Wing
currentclub = leagueicon|Wigan|size=16Wigan Warriors
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1982|2|27
placeofbirth =Liverpool, New South Wales
countryofbirth =Australia
height = height|ft=6|in=3
weight = 15 st 8 lbs (99 kg)
club1 = leagueicon|Parramatta Eels|16Parramatta Eels
year1start = 2000
year1end = 2003
appearances1 = 37
tries1 = 14
goals1 = 4
fieldgoals1 = 0
points1 = 64
club2 = leagueicon|Wests Tigers|16Wests Tigers
year2start = 2004
year2end = 2005
appearances2 = 39
tries2 = 26
goals2 = 0
fieldgoals2 = 0
points2 = 104
club3 = leagueicon|Wigan|16Wigan Warriors
year3start = 2006
year3end = present
appearances3 = 83
tries3 = 45
goals3 = 241
fieldgoals3 = 3
points3 = 755
teamA = leagueicon|Ireland|16 Ireland
yearAstart = 2008
yearAend =
appearancesA =
triesA =
goalsA =
fieldgoalsA =
pointsA =
updated =
source =Pat Richards (born February 27, 1982 in
Liverpool, New South Wales ) is anAustralian rugby league player for theWigan Warriors in the English Super League. Richards previously played for theWests Tigers in the NRL competition. His usual position is wing.Playing career
Richards' junior club was Cabramattaz and he attended St Therese Primary School and Westfields Sports High.
Richards played for
Parramatta Eels between 2000-2003 before moving toWests Tigers , where he enjoyed a successful 2005 season, scoring 20 tries in 28 matches. Richards' try from a Benji Marshall flick pass was a highlight of the 2005 Grand Final between the Wests Tigers andNorth Queensland Cowboys .Pat Richards signed a two-year contract with Wigan Warriors 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 6ft 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." [cite news | title=Wigan capture Pat Richards - AAP Sports News (Australia) June 3, 2005]
He started his Wigan Warriors career playing in the centres rather than his usually position of winger. 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 in the centres. At the end of the 2006 season wingerBrett Dallas retired from rugby league which allowed Richards to move back to his usually position of winger for the 2007. 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 andWayne Godwin left Wigan at the end of 2006. Despite not previously being a regular goal kicker, Pat quickly developed the skills and is now rated as one of the best goal kickers in the Super League. After 27 appearances in 2007 he has scored 14 tries, kicked 103 goals and been man of the match 4 times. Mid way through the season Richards was moved to full back afterMichael Withers had retired andChris Ashton had been dropped after some poor performances.On 21 September 2007 he kicked the vital drop goal to give Wigan a 31-30 win aganst Bradford. It completed the biggest comeback in super League history. Fact|date=September 2007
Richards has an Irish EU passport and does not impact on the Wigan Warriors overseas quota. He has made himself available for Ireland's
2008 Rugby League World Cup campaign.cite web|url=http://www.teletext.co.uk/sport/rugby/league-stories/9d3e92dc7e5f4bfb7b2974202a2f777f/Kelly+reveals+interest.aspx|title=Kelly reveals interest|publisher=teletext.co.uk|date=2008-05-01|accessdate=2008-05-01] [Collins, Ben: "Kelly eyes Cup sitr by Irish", pages 18-19. Rugby League World, April 2008] cite web|url=http://www.rlwc08.com/news/news/archive/2008/07/30/white-eyes-a-green-jersey.aspx|title=White Eyes a Green Jersey|publisher=RLWC08.com|date=2008-07-21|accessdate=2008-07-30]He has been named in the Ireland training squad for the
2008 Rugby League World Cup .cite web|url=http://www.rli.ie/story.php?id=53|title=Ireland Name World Cup 40 Man Training Squad|publisher=Rugby League Ireland|date=2008-08-01|accessdate=2008-08-02]He has been named in the Ireland squad for the
2008 Rugby League World Cup .cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_league/7657596.stm|title=Cassidy included in Ireland squad|publisher=BBC|date=2008-10-07|accessdate=2008-10-07]Pat has a son called Aidan Patrick Richards who was born on 6 July 2007.
Career highlights
*"Junior Club:" Cabramatta
*"First Grade Debut:" Round 14, Parramatta v Melbourne at Parramatta Stadium, May 5, 2000
*"Premiership:"Wests Tigers 2005, 1 try
*"First Grade Record:" 76 appearances scoring 40 tries & 4 goals
*2007Super League top points scorer with 248 points in the regular season.References
External links
* [http://www.wiganwarriors.com/SquadMember.asp?teamid=1&id=165 Official Wigan Warriors player profile]
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