Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Full name | Christopher Melling | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Born | Ashton-in-Makerfield, England | 21 September 1984||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Playing information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Weight | 14 st 7 lb (92 kg) [1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Position | Wing, Fullback, Second-row, Loose forward | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Christopher Melling (born 21 September 1984) is an English former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 2000s and 2010s. He played at representative level for England (Under-16s, and Under-18s), and as a fullback for Great Britain, and at club level for Ashton Bears ARLFC (Under-15), Hindley ARLFC (16+), and in the Super League for the Wigan Warriors and Harlequins RL (renamed as the London Broncos in 2012), as a fullback, wing, second-row or loose forward, consequently he was considered a utility player.
Melling was born in Ashton-in-Makerfield, Greater Manchester, England. He was a pupil at Byrchall High School.
played junior rugby league for the Ashton and Hindley junior clubs.[4] Melling is a youth level international for England, touring Australia and New Zealand with England Under 16s in 2001 and also representing England's U18 Academy.[4][5]
Melling is a former Wigan Senior Academy captain who made several appearance for the Wigan first team.
In 2004's Super League IX it had seemed that Melling's career was in doubt following a serious knee injury suffered playing for Wigan against Leeds at Headingley.[6] Melling had been seen as a future star before having his season ended by a cruciate ligament injury.[7]
Upon his return to first team action in 2005's Super League X Chris made a further 10 first-grade appearances for the Wigan Warriors before picking up another knee injury requiring further surgery.[8]
Melling returned to full fitness in 2006, but found first team opportunities limited, due to the emergence of Chris Ashton at the club.[9] Chris Melling moved to hooker in Wigan's academy, impressing enough to be voted as the Under-21s Academy 'Player of the Year' for 2006.[10]
He left Wigan to pursue regular first team rugby league.
Melling was initially signed as a back-up hooker to Chad Randall,[11] however the Great Britain international made the fullback position his own. He has been compared to Wade McKinnon with the youngster being defensively solid and dependable, with an eye for a gap bringing the ball out in attack.[12] His move to Harlequins was to have seen the youngster undergo a positional change with a move to hooker.[13] He had been previously employed throughout the backline, with most of his first team appearances coming as an outside back.
Melling impressed in 2007,[14] starting games at fullback and throughout the backline and scoring four tries. In May 2007 Melling agreed to a new two-year deal with Harlequins Rugby League, midway through his first season at the Twickenham Stoop.[15] This will keep Melling in the capital until 2009.[16] He is seen as the emerging star at the Harlequins, with Harlequins RL investing in young British talent.[17]
In June 2007 Melling was called up to the Great Britain squad,[3][18][19][20] and was fullback in the Test match against France.[21] He was joined in the Great Britain Test side by Harlequins teammate Paul Sykes.[22] Melling made his Great Britain début in the 42-14 victory over the French on 22 June 2007, despite carrying an injury.[23][24][25]
Melling became a qualified physiotherapist after studying at the University of Central Lancashire in Preston,[26] graduating in June 2006.[27] He hoped to set up his own physiotherapy practise in the future.[27]
After retiring as a player in 2013, Melling joined Warrington Wolves as a rehab specialist and academy physiotherapist,[28] and later worked as a physio at Oldham and Halifax.[29][30] Melling became head physio at Leigh Leopards in December 2022.