Matt king for a day
Australia international Matt King, who ended his spell at Melbourne Storm with a tryscoring display in their Grand Final triumph over Manly last September, made a winning start to his career at England.
The 6ft 3in centre got on the scoresheet for his new club Warrington Wolves as they warmed up for the engage Super League season with an impressive 30-22 win over Wigan Warriors in a testimonial match for Wolves captain Lee Briers.
King thrilled an 81,000 crowd at Sydney’s Telstra Stadium on his farewell appearance down under but he admitted he was suffering from nerves as he ran out in front of 6,500 fans at the Halliwell Jones Stadium.
“It’s good to get the first one out of the way,” he said. “I was pretty nervous coming into the game.
“Playing my first game for a new club after four and a half years was a pretty nerve-wracking thing. But the more footie I play, the more I’m going to feel like it’s home. It’s going to be a lot of fun I should think.”
King, who plucked the ball out of the leaden skies for a trademark try in the second half, has signed a three-year contract with ambitious Warrington and is looking forward to playing in a more expansive competition.
“It’s fun, it’s a little bit different to what I’m used to,” he said. “In Australia we’re a little bit more focused on our defence but over here there’s a definite emphasis on attack.
“That suits my game and I think I’ll enjoy it. It really is a better spectacle for the fans. 30-22 is a pretty healthy scoreline. I think everyone enjoyed the game.”
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