Warrington Wolves star explains how Sam Burgess has ‘changed the mentality’ of the club

Warrington Wolves host St Helens today as they bid to make a Super League semi-final for the first time since 2019 and much of that new-found success has been down to Sam Burgess, as revealed by Dream Team winger Matty Ashton.

Ashton was one of 11 players to debut in the Super League Dream Team and one of three Warrington players but the Wolves’ winger has insisted that he didn’t have an inkling that he’d be included, despite a season that’s seen him score 21 tries.

Speaking to Serious About Rugby League at the Dream Team media event, Ashton explained: “We had a meeting that announced it in club the other day and you could see how much it meant to the team and how much the team was proud of us for doing that so yeah it’s a real big achievement.”

He even suggested that Wire could have had more than three players selected: “Definitely, I think it’s a testament to the way we’ve gone this year. It’s been a great year for the club and obviously we’re not quite done yet.

“We know the biggest game is yet to come and we’ve done all the hard work getting to this point now. This is what we did pre-season for all the months ago, so it all starts this weekend.”

How has Sam Burgess transformed Warrington Wolves?

Warrington’s major leap in 2024 has coincided with the hiring of Sam Burgess and it’s impossible to ignore how different the Wolves look in terms of their fortitude, something that’s best exemplified by the fact they have the best defence in Super League this year. In fact, their defence ranks among the top ten for the fewest points conceded all-time in Super League.

Asked about the influence of Burgess, Ashton explained: “He’s been great. I think he’s just changed the mentality of the club from top to bottom and we’re a team that wants to play for the end of the day. If you can see it on the pitch, we’re a bit more different in our approach.

“Obviously we know we’re a team that’s always been able to score tries but I think our defensive mindset has flipped on its head completely. I think we’ve conceded the least points in the competition for that so it’s a massive improvement from the last two years, wherever we’re at.”

Given that Burgess is still just 35, he’s someone that all the playing squad has watched, either when growing up or as a peer and for Ashton, that ‘aura’ is something he noted.

” I think for a lot of us it was a bit of a surreal moment, especially for me. Obviously it’s not that long ago since he retired and you’ve seen what he can do on the pitch and his aura talks for itself. He’s a legend of the game in both countries of Australia and England. So yeah, it was massive.”

He even credited Burgess for off-field work that had aided the 26-year-old in life, explaining: “He’s sorted a lot of stuff out off the pitch for me in my life, not just for rugby. It’s a real testament to him and he’s a person I wouldn’t have come to if it wasn’t for. He’s done a lot for me this year already and obviously, it’s only been his first year at the club and we’ve got another couple of years with him yet so I’m really excited for that as well.”

Looking ahead to the prospect of making the Grand Final, Ashton’s hoping to utilise the pain of Wembley to fuel a charge to Old Trafford.

“I’ve already been to one final this year, it didn’t quite go to plan but I think I’ve learnt a lot massively from that as an individual and I’m sure a lot of us out of the team as well. So I’m just dying to get back to another final and flip it on its head really and get it over the line.”