Wigan Warriors have re-signed prop forward Oliver Partington from Catalans Dragons, with Kruise Leeming making the opposite move on loan.
Partington, who emerged through the Wigan ranks as a youngster, played 91 games for the club before joining Salford in 2023 and then Catalans from the middle of 2024.
The 27-year-old returns to the Warriors on a five-year contract and will join Matt Peet’s squad at their pre-season training camp in Tenerife next week.
“I am absolutely buzzing to be coming back to Wigan,” said Partington. “I’m really looking forward to earning the respect of the group and the fans.
“To play for Wigan Warriors was always my childhood dream and I’ve lived that dream once – I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to live that dream again.”
Partington helped Wigan to win the League Leaders Shield in 2020, as well as featuring in their Grand Final defeat by St Helens the same season.
Leeming, 30, who was part of the Warriors’ quadruple-winning side in 2024, moves to the Dragons on a one-year loan deal.
“I believe we have the coaching staff and playing squad to achieve something really special,” Leeming said of his move to France., external
“I’ll be doing everything I can to play my part, and I’m very excited that I will soon get to pull on the blood and gold shirt at Brutus and get stuck in.”