WARRINGTON WOLVES star Matty Ashton has signed a long-term deal with the Super League club until the end of the 2028 season.
The 25-year-old winger joined the club in 2020 from Swinton Lions and has scored 61 tries in 88 appearances.
Ashton has won the club’s Player of the Year and Players’ Player of the Year trophies for two consecutive seasons and topped the try-scoring charts in the previous two campaigns. He has 13 tries this season in all competitions.
The speedster also clocked the top speed across Super League last year at 36.41km/h.
He made his England debut last year against France and also scored three tries in the Test series against Tonga last autumn.
Speaking on the new deal, Matty Ashton said: “I’m really happy to have secured my future at this great club.
“The club has really looked after me and I want to repay that by bringing success.
“There’s always room to improve and that’s what drives me every day. I feel like I’m doing that each week and I want to kick on further now under Sam [Burgess] and the coaching staff here.”
Warrington Wolves Head Coach Sam Burgess added: “It’s great news for the club to secure Matty for the next four years.
“He’s very happy here and he’s only going to grow and get better. He’s a joy to coach and we really enjoy having him at our club.”
However, Warrington will be saying goodbye to Matty Nicholson, whose move to the Canberra Raiders was confirmed by Burgess last night, following the club’s 30-18 win over Leeds Rhinos.
The second-rower will join Canberra Raiders on a three-year deal with the club receiving a significant transfer fee.
The 20-year-old joined the Wire midway through the 2022 season and made an instant impact, scoring on his debut and being named Player of the Match in a win over Catalans Dragons at Magic Weekend.
He has since gone on to make 41 appearances in the primrose and blue, scoring 11 tries.
During his time at the club he also made his England debut and has featured in two tests against France for the national team.
Matty Nicholson said: “It’s been a lifetime ambition of mine growing up to play in the NRL.
“That’s the pinnacle of the sport and I’ve always pushed myself to play in that competition one day. I think it’s a good time for me to go over and I don’t want to have any regrets.
“I’ve loved every minute of my time here at Warrington and I’m fully committed for the rest of the season. Warrington gave me the opportunity to prove myself in Super League. I’m leaving on great terms and have got mates here for life. I can’t thank the club enough for what they’ve done for me during my time here and also how they’ve handled the transfer.
“The fans have been brilliant with me also. I really appreciate them and from the moment I made my debut I feel that they’ve really took to me. I want to thank them for the support they’ve shown and I want to repay them by ending my time here on a high.”
Warrington Wolves CEO Karl Fitzpatrick added: “Naturally we are disappointed with losing Matty but we were fully aware this could transpire when we brought him in from Wigan.
“Matty goes with our best wishes and I know he’ll be doing all he can to ensure that he goes out in the right fashion this season.”
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