01 March 2023 , 20:08
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Matty Ashton has gone from flipping burgers to turning over Super League defences and still can’t quite believe it.
The flying winger, 24, looks to help maintain Warrington’s 100 percent winning start when they host Salford on Friday. He got off the mark with last week's try double at Huddersfield and is hotly tipped to be in Shaun Wane’s England plans for the 2025 World Cup. Yet rapid Ashton admits often thinking about how he nearly didn’t even get close to making the cut.
He was playing amateur for Rochdale Mayfield before earning a trial at part-timers Swinton Lions in 2019. Late-starter Ashton recalled: “I still pinch myself every morning when I go into training. I had some jobs in the past which I wouldn’t wish on anyone. McDonald's was probably the worst. But I had some when I didn’t have a clue what I was doing!
“I do feel I’m living the dream now. As a youngster, you’ve just got to never give up. No matter where you are, if your dream is to be a rugby league player, keep going and keep going. And hopefully one day you’ll get your chance.”
And Ashton paid tribute to Wolves boss Daryl Powell for giving him his latest opportunity. When the ex-Castleford coach arrived last year, he handed him a starting jersey for the first time. Although things went sour for Warrington as they finished second-bottom, they’ve started this season in real style with impressive victories over Leeds and Huddersfield.
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Ashton, who’s scored 29 tries in 45 games since joining in 2020, said: “I owe Daryl a lot. From the start, he spoke to me and gave me a load of confidence. He told me I was his starting winger which gave me a boost and I want to pay him back. He’s a quality coach. Obviously it didn’t go to plan last year. But we’re really enjoying things at the minute. I know it’s only early days but it’s a fresh start. The new signings have come in and everyone has got a really good trust around each other.
Warrington's Matty Ashton starts celebrations as he runs in to score against Huddersfield (Mike Egerton/PA Wire) (PA)“If someone does make a mistake, someone is there to cover their back. We’ve seen that in the first two games, our defence scramble is really good and we’re really excited by how things look. Obviously Warrington’s a high-pressure club - we all know that - but hopefully we can keep getting the wins for him.”
Salford beat Leigh first up but lost at home to Hull KR a week ago and are angling for a response. Ashton added: “We’re expecting a very tough game. They play very expansive rugby and have quality across the park. They’ll provide a strong challenge and we need to start well as they can score points."