Super League star set for NRL move

One of the best young forwards in the Super League, Matty Nicholson, is set to make the move to the NRL next season.

Competing as a second-rower, Nicholson, 20, has become one of the hottest overseas properties after a good start to the season with the Warrington Wolves and making his international debut for England at the end of last year.

Previously at the Wigan Warriors and Newcastle Thunder, he has turned into a great young player under the guidance of Sam Burgess at Warrington.

First reported by The Daily Telegraph, Warrington coach Sam Burgess later confirmed that Nicholson has activated a release clause in his contract that will allow him to move to Australia.

Having previously gauged interest from NRL clubs in 2022, News Corp reported that five NRL teams have expressed an interest to his agent, Liam Ayoub, in recruiting him for next season and beyond.

However, The Sydney Morning Herald and Nine journalist Michael Chammas revealed on Monday that Nicholson has agreed to join the Canberra Raiders from the start of the 2025 NRL season.

Nicholson would be the perfect replacement for second-rower Elliott Whitehead, who is coming to the twilight of his career and will likely announce his retirement before the season ends.

On the weekend, Nicholson’s coach and former NRL player Sam Burgess revealed that he’s trying to give him the best guidance and believes the NRL team that signs him will receive a ‘great player’.

“I’m trying to give him the best guidance I can as a coach and as a friend as well,” Burgess said via Warrington Guardian.

“He’ll make the right decision at the right time but for now, he’s enjoying his work.

“He’s got ambition and I respect that. If he is going to go that way, we’ll send him in the best shape possible and with the most experience possible, but he’s a wonderful player.

“He’s only 30 or 40 games into his career, so he’s relatively young in that respect. He’s learning and getting better every week as well.