WIGAN will have winger Dayon Sambou and centre/backrow Jonny Vaughan on board next season after they agreed four-year deals to follow their departure from arch-rivals St Helens, where they were out of contract.

And the Warriors have tied down assistant coach and former player Paul Deacon, who arrived on a short-term deal in August after departing his role as team chief of rugby union club Sale Sharks, on a three-year contract extension.

Sambou, 20, has featured six times for Saints this season and also played for Halifax on dual registration.

Fellow Academy product Vaughan, 21, has made eight Saints appearances, all last season, and this year played twelve times on loan at Salford.

Wigan coach Matt Peet said: “I know they’re coming to work hard, I know it’s taken a lot of courage on their part to make the move but myself and the players and the staff are looking forward to welcoming them both.”

On 46-year-old former England and Great Britain halfback Deacon, who spent the bulk of his playing career at Bradford and had a spell on Wigan coaching staff from 2012 to 2015, Peet said: “It was a no-brainer.

“When he became available the conversation between myself and (chief executive) Kris Radlinski was a short one. He’s a great coach first and foremost, but he’s also a really quality man.”

Peet also has Tommy Leuluai, Sean O’Loughlin and John Duffy in his coaching team.”