Warrington Wolves’ Matty Nicholson is the latest Englishman to leave Super League and he’s explained how the likes of Sam Burgess guided his decision.
Nicholson has swapped the Wolves for the Raiders, signing a three-year deal and becoming the latest in a long line of England internationals to sign with Canberra in the NRL.
The nation’s capital has become somewhat of an outpost for England internationals with plenty who make the NRL switch finding themselves playing for the Green Machine.
As more and more English stars opt to play for Canberra when leaving Super League, more and more players inevitably recommend it as others look to make an NRL switch.
For Matty Nicholson, that was the case with teammates George Williams and John Bateman among those to speak highly of the Raiders, despite both exiting in untimely fashion.
“I spoke to those two a lot about it,” Nicholson said of Williams and Bateman when speaking to The Daily Telegraph.
“They were really good over here. All the English lads at Canberra seem to do well too. Both enjoyed it.
“I know it didn’t end well, but they both said when they were here, they both loved it.”
How Super League star came to make NRL switch
Credit: Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com
Another man who helped shape Nicholson’s move away from Super League was actually his Warrington Wolves boss, Sam Burgess.
Burgess will go down as both an English and an NRL great meaning his opinion carries plenty of weight on both sides of the world. For Nicholson, Burgess’ understanding of that passion to test yourself in the NRL helped a lot.
Speaking to the Telegraph, the 21-year-old revealed: “Sam wanted me to stay another year, but he also understood when I said I wanted to have a fresh start.
“He was really good about it. He was at a similar age when he came over. He was really good with me, Sam. Nothing but good things too say about it.”
Nicholson was in the second of his three-year deal with Warrington Wolves after signing from Wigan Warriors but he cut it short to join former teammate Morgan Smithies, who made the switch to the NRL at the end of the 2023 Super League season.
“I am living with Morgs,” Nicholson revealed.
“We have known each other since we were little kids. We grew in the same part of Halifax, so I have known Morgan all my life.
“I speak to him every day. He had nothing but good things to say.
“That was a big reason I came too.”
Nicholson penned a three-year deal with the NRL side and ends the first chapter of his Super League career with 47 appearances.
