Warrington Wolves coach Sam Burgess makes Matty Nicholson prediction following NRL move
Matty Nicholson (left) in action for Warrington Wolves with head coach Sam Burgess (right)
Canberra Raiders’ new signing Matty Nicholson has been backed to go ‘really well’ in the NRL by his former Warrington Wolves coach Sam Burgess.
Nicholson will get his first taste of the NRL in 2025 after joining Canberra on a three-year contract.
The 21-year-old is one of the most highly-rated young British forwards, having scored 17 tries in 51 appearances for Warrington since arriving from Wigan Warriors midway through the 2022 campaign.
Nicholson has already been capped twice by England on the international stage: and will be wanting to make a good impression with the Raiders so he can represent his country against Australia in next year’s Ashes series.
And speaking on The Run Home with Joel and Fletch radio show, Burgess has backed Nicholson to thrive in the NRL with Canberra.
“I think he’ll go really well,” Burgess said.
“He’s obviously very young, he’s only 21 or 22 I think. He’s a great athlete, he’s fit, he’s a student of the game so I’d love him to go over there and do well.
“He’s got a bit to learn in his game but he’ll certainly do that in the NRL.
“I’d have loved to have kept him here (at Warrington) for one more year, send him over there with another 12 months of hard work (behind him) and try to fix up his physicality but he’ll do that there at Canberra and I’m sure we’ll see a lot of him play. He’s a good athlete.”
Nicholson will play alongside his fellow Yorkshireman and good pal Morgan Smithies at Canberra. In fact, Nicholson is actually living with Smithies and his partner Tara as he gets used to his surroundings in Australia’s capital.
The Halifax-born back-rower will become the latest British player to represent the Raiders, following in the footsteps of Elliott Whitehead, George Williams, John Bateman, Ryan Sutton, Josh Hodgson and Smithies in pulling on the green jersey.
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