WARRINGTON young gun Matty Nicholson hopes to celebrate his England call-up by beating old club Wigan in the top-of-the-table Betfred Super League clash.
The uncapped second-row, 19, has been drafted into Shaun Wane’s 40-man extended squad ahead of their Test against France at Halliwell Jones Stadium on Saturday April 29. But first in-form Nicholson - one of eight Warrington players included for England - aims to make it nine wins from nine for the red-hot leaders.
On the surprise international call - Nicholson has only made 14 senior club appearances - he said: “It’s a massive achievement for myself and my family and a huge privilege. Obviously, I’d love to play for England. That’s the pinnacle of anyone’s career. All I can do is keep playing good rugby.
“But I’m not looking too far forward and am just thinking about this Wigan game. It'll be good to see some old faces. I had a lot of good times at Wigan coming through the Academy. It’s a club I respect. But it’d be nice to get one over them.”
Nicholson caused a stir by leaving them last June to sign a three-and-a-half year deal with Warrington. Challenge Cup winners Warriors had high hopes for him while wobbling Warrington had lost six of their last eight games on the way to tumbling down to an 11th-placed finish.
But it’s been a real turnaround in coach Daryl Powell’s second season in charge. Warrington are hoping for a sell-out crowd on Friday and it’s no surprise given the way they have shone. Nicholson certainly knows he made the right move. Wigan have since let England’s John Bateman return to the NRL and Kai Pearce-Paul will head Down Under in 2024 so a regular second-row space could have opened up for him there.
But Nicholson said: “I’ve no regrets. With a few players leaving Wigan, it’s just how it is. But I’m really happy here at Warrington and in a really good place. I’m playing week in week out and playing well. As long as we keep winning I’ll be happy. Powelly got a lot of stick last year. The team wasn’t good but it’s almost a brand new team now.
"We kept a few but plenty went so credit to Powelly. He’s kept positive in it all and is reaping the rewards now. We’ve started really well. Wigan will be a step up from anything else. But that’s what we want.”
And he'll be in direct opposition against Liam Farrell, the experienced second-row who missed out on the World Cup due to injury but is one of eight Wigan players now in Wane's England squad. Nicholson said: "Faz speaks for himself. He’s an unbelievable player and still is. He’s still playing really well, is very consistent and never seems to have a bad game.
"When I was at Wigan, I did learn a lot from him. Training against him it was pretty hard as he is so good. It will be a test for me definitely as he’ll be one of the best players I’ve come up against but that’s what I want as that will help me improve."
Nicholson has played in all but two of Warrington's eight games so far, establishing himself in their second-row, starting largely alongside Ben Currie, who has earned an England recall on the back of his own stellar start.
The Yorkshireman helped Wolves secure a famous win in Perpignan last Saturday, beating high-flying Catalans despite being down to 12 men for the last 15 minutes after Gil Dudson's red card. Nicholson added: "We talked about this three week period with Catalans, Wigan and St Helens. We’ve knocked one off beating Catalans. The way we did it down to 12 men was really impressive. We have started the season really well but, apart from last week, we haven’t really been tested for 80 minutes. Wigan, though, will be a really big test of our level of performance."
Nicholson, who scored twice on his solitary Wigan appearance against Huddersfield last May, is certainly thriving in a Wolves pack bolstering ex-NRL stars Paul Vaughan and Josh McGuire. said: "When I got the 12 shirt I had a feeling I might play as obviously it’s a starting jersey.
"I knew if I had a good pre-season I’d be in there with a shout. By the end of pre-season, I did have a feeling I’d be starting and it has gone really well. Now I just want to carry it on."
Meanwhile, Warrington winger Josh Thewlis, Salford prop Tyler Dupree and Leeds second-row Morgan Gannon - Nicholson’s former team-mate at Halifax juniors Siddal - are among 20 uncapped players in Wane’s squad. Captain Sam Tomkins, Salford duo Kallum Watkins and Marc Sneyd and record-try scorer Ryan Hall are among seven players omitted from last year’s World Cup squad.
England squad: Abdull, Lewis, Litten (all Hull KR), Farrell, Havard, King, Marshall, Pearce-Paul, Smith, Smithies, Wardle (all Wigan), Dodd, Knowles, Lees, Lomax, Makinson, Percival, Walmlsey, Welsby (all St Helens), Ashton, Clark, Currie, Harrison, Nicholson, Thewlis, Walker, Williams (all Warrington), Hill, Pryce, Wilson (all Huddersfield), Davies, Johnstone, McMeeken (all Catalans), Dupree, Ackers (both Salford), Gannon, Handley, Holroyd, Newman, Oledzki (all Leeds).
