WIGAN WARRIORS new boy Jonny Vaughan is happy to be over the hill, even though he is only 21.
Vaughan has made the move from hometown club St Helens, along with teammate and fellow centre Dayon Sambou.
Both have penned four-year contracts as the Warriors tweak their squad in a bid to reclaim Super League supremacy after losing out to Hull KR in this year’s Grand Final.
Only seven miles – and Billinge Hill, the highest point in Merseyside – separate the two historic clubs, so the rivalry is as intense as ever.
And Vaughan said: “Coming over from St Helens to Wigan, I know it doesn’t happen very often, and I’m really grateful for the welcome I’ve received.
“I’ve been thankful for the messages I’ve already had from Wigan fans; it’s been pretty positive so far.”
Like Sambou, Vaughan came through Saints’ Academy, making his first-team bow in 2024, when he played eight times in all and was also loaned out to Swinton to gain experience.
This year he was loaned to troubled Salford, turning out twelve times.
“I just want to play as many games as I can and make a good impression on my teammates and the fans,” he added of his move to Wigan, who begin their Super League campaign at home to Castleford on Sunday, February 15 and head to Saints in round seven on Good Friday, April 3.
With Magic Weekend on the list, that’s the first of three derby fixtures in 2026, and Vaughan added: “It’s obviously a big move between the two clubs.
“But I spoke to (coach) Matt Peet and (chief executive) Kris Radlinski, and they had such a clearly set-out plan for me.
“They told me exactly where I stood within the team and what they wanted and expected from me.
“The clarity of all that was what I’d been longing for, and it felt like it was the right time for me to make a fresh start.”