Joe Mellor

Joseph Patrick Mellor (born 28 November 1990) is an English professional rugby league footballer who plays as a or  for the Salford Red Devils in the Betfred Super League.

He previously played for the Wigan Warriors in the Super League, and on loan from Wigan at Harlequins RL in the top flight and the Widnes Vikings in the Championship and the Super League. Mellor later joined Widnes on a permanent deal in the Super League. He also played for the Toronto Wolfpack in the Betfred Championship and the top flight.

Background
Mellor was born in Warrington, Cheshire, England.

Wigan Warriors
Mellor signed as a professional for Wigan from Warrington-based amateur side Latchford. In 2009, Mellor was awarded Man-of-the-Match in the Reserve Grand Final following a fantastic performance. An injury-plagued 2010 meant limited appearances in Wigan's junior teams, however, he did play in the Under-20 Cup Final win over St Helens.

Harlequins RL (loan)
He made his Super League début in rugby league whilst on loan at Harlequins in 2011's Super League XVI, coming off the bench in a 27-16 win over St. Helens in round five.

Widnes Vikings
On his return to Wigan, Mellor was sent on loan to Widnes along with Dom Crosby and Logan Tomkins. Mellor featured at stand-off for the Chemics, scoring tries in the home fixtures against Barrow and Toulouse Olympique, and a brace away at Barrow.

Mellor was once again loaned to Widnes in 2012, and joined the club on a permanent contract after being released by Wigan at the end of 2012. Since permanently joining Widnes, Mellor improved over his years at the club, being regarded as one of the best players in Super League.

After the departure of captain Kevin Brown to the Warrington Wolves at the end of 2016, Mellor was handed co-captaincy alongside Chris Houston, and has been given the number 6 jersey.

Leigh
On 10 November 2020, it was announced that Mellor would join Leigh for the 2021 Super League season. On 28 May 2022, Mellor played for Leigh in their 2022 RFL 1895 Cup final victory over Featherstone. On 3 October 2022, Mellor played for Leigh in their Million Pound Game victory over Batley which saw the club promoted back to the Super League. On 12 August 2023, Mellor played for Leigh in their 2023 Challenge Cup final victory over Hull Kingston Rovers. It was Leigh's first major trophy for 52 years. Mellor played 23 games for Leigh in the 2023 Super League season as the club finished fifth on the table and qualified for the playoffs. He played in their elimination playoff loss against Hull Kington Rovers.

Salford Red Devils
On 15 Dec 2023 it was reported that he had signed for Salford Red Devils in the Super League on a 2-year deal.