Latest news with #MattDufty
Yahoo
13 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Matt Dufty offers advice to Wembley first-timers and discusses role change
Matt Dufty is preparing for his second Challenge Cup Final after being named as player of the match during the semi-final victory over Leigh Leopards (Image: Allan McKenzie/ LAST year, the majority of Warrington Wolves' players were experiencing Wembley for the very first time. Indeed, 11 of the 17 players Sam Burgess selected to contest the 2024 Challenge Cup Final had never played on the grandest stage British sport can offer before, including full-back Matt Dufty. Advertisement It showed in their performance as The Wire faltered badly against Wigan Warriors to end up on the losing side, but they now have a chance at immediate redemption. This time, the number of Wembley first-timers will be much lower and Dufty believes the experience will serve him and his teammates well. 'You don't realise how special a venue it is until you walk out there,' he said. 'I don't usually like going looking at fields before going out to play – my first taste is usually going out for warm-up – but I probably should have had a look last year. 'When I first walked out, I was thinking 'oh my word.' Advertisement 'To get there two years in a row is special but lifting that cup would be even better. Winning something with this playing group would be top of the list for me.' Despite scoring a try, Matt Dufty's first experience of playing at Wembley was an unhappy one as part of a Wire side that lost to Wigan in last year's Challenge Cup Final (Image: Ed Sykes/ So having lived and learnt, what would his advice be for the likes of Luke Yates, Adam Holroyd and Arron Lindop – all of whom are likely to be in the same boat as he was last year? 'Everybody handles things like this differently but I think it will help to go and have a look beforehand. Any excuse to be inside Wembley is a good one,' he said. 'I'd say the key thing to remember is that it's another game of footy. Advertisement 'We got a bit swept up in the occasion last year and I think we lost the game rather than Wigan beating us. 'Get a touch of the ball, get your first carry out of the way and it will soon become another game of footy. There's no next week, so we've got to put our best foot forward.' In his key role at full-back, Dufty is likely to play a big part in Warrington's bid to beat the odds on Saturday as they bid to derail the juggernaut that is Super League leaders Hull KR. And his position has become much more vital in recent weeks given the absence of skipper George Williams and hooker Danny Walker from the creative spine, with scrum-half Marc Sneyd having also been in and out of the side of late. Advertisement That has meant his role has had to change given he was among the more experienced players remaining, but it is a change he is embracing. Matt Dufty chats to the Warrington Guardian's Matt Turner (Image: Allan McKenzie/ 'It's been different for me this year,' the Australian said. 'Sometimes I feel like I'm the last man standing in that spine but I've tried to take on more of a leadership role with it. 'I feel like I'm learning about myself a lot more. 'I try and do what's best for the team – I'd say humbling is probably the wrong word but it's certainly been a learning experience. Advertisement 'Obviously, I'm associated more with the flashy stuff but I've tried to focus more on the unseen things that help the team more. 'Last year, we were in form almost all year. Our consistency was there and we didn't have too many injuries. 'This year, we've had a few challenges that have probably rattled the group a bit but anything can happen in a Challenge Cup Final. 'It's hard because you want to win every week. Sometimes you look back and think we played better than the result but there's others where we just weren't there at all. 'We've probably had too many of those this year but we've been building in the last few weeks and learning from our losses.' Advertisement One of the defeats Dufty mentioned came just a fortnight ago against their Wembley opponents, with Hull KR leaving The Halliwell Jones Stadium with a 31-12 victory in Round 12 of Super League. The Warrington side that takes the field on Saturday is likely to be much closer to full strength than the one that did so that night, and the number one believes the game painted a clear picture of how they can get the job done. Dufty was a part of the Wire side beaten by Hull KR a fortnight ago (Image: Olly Hassell/ 'Their coach touched on it after the game – they took their opportunities and we missed a few,' he said. 'We had chances to be in that game more than we were and I think the scoreline didn't really reflect how the game went. 'For us this week, it's about nailing our plan, not dropping too many balls or conceding too many penalties. 'They are a well-structured team that sticks to its game plan. We've got to do the same.'
BBC News
4 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Wire tee up Wembley date with win against Cas
Betfred Super LeagueWarrington (22) 34Tries: Josh Thewlis, Jake Thewlis, Tai, Lindop, Currie, Ratchford Goals: Sneyd 4, Ratchford 1Castleford (6) 24Tries: Lawler 2, Innes Senior, Simm Goals: Milnes 2, Lawler 2 Warrington Wolves earned the perfect preparation for next weekend's Challenge Cup final against Hull KR as they pulled off thrilling win over Castleford Tigers at the Halliwell Jones had helpfully acceded to Warrington's request to bring forward this Super League contest by two days in order to give Sam Burgess's outfit a clear seven-day run into the Wembley Wire - dancing to a tune conducted by masterful Australian full-back Matt Dufty - ran in four tries to lead 22-6 at the halfway were an improved outfit in the second half shading the try count 3-2 but Wire were always in control of the scoreboard eventually ran out comfortable winners and emerged with no injury to follow. Warrington: Dufty; Josh Thewlis, Tai, LIndop, Jake Thewlis; Ratchford, Sneyd; Yates, Powell, Vaughan, Fitzgibbon, Holroyd, CurrieInterchanges: Harrison, Wood, Philbin, HartillCastleford: Hoy; Simm, Cini, L Senior, I Senior; Asi, Milnes; Okoro, Atkin, Singleton, Lawler, Mellor, HorneInterchanges: Griffin, Hall, Hill, SalabioReferee: Marcus Griffiths.
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
The Wire player Joe Philbin believes will thrive under added pressure
WITH several key players on the sidelines, Warrington Wolves will need other sources of inspiration for the foreseeable future. However, Joe Philbin believes one player in particular will step up to the plate in the shape of Matt Dufty, whom he feels will thrive under the weight of added responsibility. First-choice half-backs George Williams and Marc Sneyd will be missing when The Wire face Wigan Warriors at Magic Weekend, with the latter suffering a suspected fractured eye socket during the victory over St Helens last week to go with the former's long-term ankle injury. In their absence, Dufty played a key role in the two second-half tries that sealed Warrington's Round Nine win, opening up the Saints defence to send Josh Thewlis away to set up Rodrick Tai before scoring the final try himself late on. And Philbin is looking forward to seeing the Australian rise to the occasion again. 'It was a much-needed win for us against Saints, and I thought there were a lot of heroic efforts from the team,' he told the Super League website 'We had players going down left, right and centre so those are the best wins when you can come together like that and it's good for the team spirit. 'It was my favourite performance from Matt Dufty as well. 'He can come up with all the big plays and X Factor moments he likes – including that match-winner – but when Sneyd went down and we had Ben Currie and Danny Walker at halfback, he really stood up and took the leadership role. 'He's going to be massive for us especially in the next few weeks. I think he will enjoy the extra responsibility and really rise to it so I'm looking forward to seeing this. Joe Philbin is backing Matt Dufty to thrive under added pressure in the absence of half-backs George Williams and Marc Sneyd (Image: Alex Whitehead/ 'It's gutting that we've lost Marc who got that horrific face injury last week and our captain George on the sidelines – probably two of our most influential playmakers. 'But with this adversity, it means there's an opportunity for other players to step up and that excites me. 'Whoever is selected to play at the weekend should grasp the chance with two hands. The lads who don't play every week always do such an amazing job when they're called up.' And there is, of course, an extra motivating factor for The Wire this weekend given this is their first meeting with Wigan since the two faced off in Las Vegas earlier this year. That game was a humbling experience for Philbin and his teammates, who were on the end of a 48-24 hammering at Allegiant Stadium. While admitting the squad will use that chastening experience to drive them on Sunday, the Warringtonian front-rower says focusing on getting their own performance right has to be the first step. 'Wigan have had the upper hand in Super League recently, so it's a good opportunity to put that right," he said. 'We didn't showcase ourselves how we wanted to in Vegas, but that's motivation for Magic this year. 'Vegas had a huge game feel and was all about putting Super League on the map in a different country, but we (Warrington) didn't really do that, which was disappointing. 'But it's a big, big motivating point for us. 'We've just got to play our game and not focus what they're doing so much. 'We've played each other enough times to know each other's threats and strengths. 'Wigan are a very settled team – they kick well through Harry Smith, they've got good forwards and then individual brilliance in Bevan French and Jai Field. 'A full team performance is going to be needed and it's all about playing our game. 'The last few times we've played Wigan, we probably haven't played our best game, so it's all about doing 'us' this time.' Philbin and teammate Lachlan Fitzgibbon tackle Wigan's Tyler Dupree in Las Vegas (Image: Alex Whitehead/ Sunday will be the fifth time the two neighbours have met at Magic Weekend, and Philbin has been lucky enough to play in all four of them. Those previous games have resulted in two Warrington wins in 2019 and 2021, a Wigan triumph in 2018 and a draw in 2017. 'I feel lucky that I've been able to play at some of the best stadiums our country has to offer,' he said. 'As you get older, you often look back on your career and to be able to say I've played at places like St James' Park and Anfield is brilliant. 'I got to play against Wigan at Anfield and won there, which was very, very special – I'm a Liverpool fan and there are a lot of Liverpool fans in the Warrington team. 'But just to be on the big stage – that's what you want to be doing as a player as often as you can and having that big game feel is my favourite part about Magic. 'For personal reasons, Anfield was my favourite although Newcastle is also amazing. My favourite part about Newcastle is that it's right in the middle of the city. 'For example, when you nip out for a walk to get a bottle of water from the shop, you're getting greeted and cheered by the Warrington fans – or getting some stick from some of the others – but I love all that.' Joe Philbin has played in all four Magic Weekend meetings between Warrington and Wigan, including at his beloved Liverpool FC's Anfield home ground in 2019 (Image: Alex Whitehead/
Yahoo
16-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Everything Sam Burgess said after Round One victory
WHILE admitting he expected his team to be 'a tiny bit better' than they were, Sam Burgess was happy to see his Warrington Wolves side get off to a winning start in Super League 2025. The Wire were victorious over Huddersfield Giants in Round One as second-half tries from Matty Ashton, Toby King and Matt Dufty saw them reverse a half-time deficit to win 20-12 at the John Smith's Stadium. After the game, Burgess was asked about his side's performance, the selection calls he made and his thoughts on Round One as a whole – including the much talked-about St Helens-Salford clash. Here is everything the Wire boss had to say… Q: After some of the results this weekend, you must be happy to get out of here with the job done and two points in the bag? SB: We're happy with the two points. It wasn't a very polished performance, but there's areas in there you could see we've worked on. We've got a bit to fix up but like I said, we're happy with the two points. We'll take it. Q: The clunkiness with the ball – do you put that down to it being Round One or something more than that? SB: I expected us to be a tiny bit better, but we lost our way a little bit. You could say it's a Round One thing – we've not really had a friendly but I think we'll be better for it on Friday night. Q: Do you think you'll take a bit more from having a game like that than you would have done if you'd have had a blow-out scoreline? SB: I'm glad we had that contest – I thought Huddersfield were much-improved. They looked a lot better and they challenged us in a lot of areas. We'll be better for it, for sure. Q: What do you think dragged it back for you having probably been second-best for the first 20-25 minutes? SB: I thought our defence was pretty good and at the start of the second half, we started getting our jobs done a bit better with a bit more urgency. We honestly looked a bit lethargic and our body language looked pretty poor. Those are the bits I'm not happy with, but we found our way into the game and in the second half, we turned it around. We got into our processes and our kick chase looked a bit better. We struggled to score points but we got enough to win. Q: You'll want players like Matt Dufty to make a difference in games and I guess he did that in scoring a try and making two in the second half? SB: He's a quality player – a really talented player. We're always challenging him to get better in every part of his game, so he'll be better for the run-out. I thought George (Williams) was as scratchy as I've seen him, so he's only going to get better. Those boys are so determined, and they'll be so much better. Q: You made a couple of selection calls that may have raised some people's eyebrows – you went with Stefan Ratchford over Oli Leyland, was that just you wanting more experience in there? SB: It's just the way I felt on selection day. It was hard to choose between them but I went with a bit of experience. Oli's been awesome and would have done a very good job for us, so it's a tough one. Oli's handled himself really well and has been a really good pro. Q: What was behind James Harrison and Rodrick Tai missing out? SB: I expect them to be banging on my door! It's a healthy spot to be in and I'm happy we're in this position. Jimmy's had a disrupted pre-season and hasn't trained a lot, and I thought Zane (Musgrove) had been good for us. Arron (Lindop) has had a great pre-season and took his points well tonight. Rod's got a couple of things to tidy up, but it's a healthy position to be in with the competition. Q: Any injuries picked up? SB: I've only had a brief chat to the medical guys but it doesn't look like there's anything too drastic. Q: On Stef, he's shown his versatility over the years but can he nail it down at half-back do you think? SB: To be clear, Leon Hayes is my long-term seven at the club but we all know he's had a couple of injuries. It's not really Stef's role but he's so experienced and is a calm head. It's valuable having him for that stuff and he's close to George and Duff, which probably got him over the line. Leon's a few weeks away but until then, we'll do what's best for us. Q: Was 'The Burgess Cup' mentioned at all during the week with your brother? SB: He didn't talk to me all week – he's got a bungee jump to do as well! He bet me that if he won, I'd have to do a bungee jump but if I won, he'd have to do it so let's find a big one! Jokes aside, I thought Huddersfield were much better. They were composed and physical through the middle. They've adapted well to what they're doing and challenged us. Q: How do you think your brother got on? SB: He was steady away – he'll add a bit to them and he'll grow into his role. The comp is a bit different here in terms of style of play, but he's a big body and is hard to handle. Q: Would you consider changes next week or was that a good enough performance? SB: We've only got one session this week as we're playing Friday night, so we've got to recover and go again. We'll only get one big session to have a look, so it's hard to make changes unless I'm forced to make them. More than likely, we'll continue the way we've gone and get those combinations a bit better. Q: What have you made of the weekend? SB: It's been brilliant and the games have been fantastic barring the debacle we all know about. That's been handled poorly and there's been a lack of leadership from everyone. It's a black mark on the comp and takes away from the integrity of the table. If you look at how tight it was last year, it's going to have a direct impact on the end of the year. I'm just telling the truth about it. How we've got to that stage, I don't know – I don't know enough about it – but aside from that, Round One has been brilliant. Let's hope it continues – the contests have been good and it's brilliant. It's been a good start to the year. Q: What did you make of your team's decision to use the captain's challenge so early? SB: Let's hope we get a bit better because I thought it was a poor choice. It's new, so they're going to get it wrong on occasion. We've just got to be careful it doesn't slow the game down too much – just make a decision and get on with it. The boys are in the heat of the moment so I get it's a hard task, but as time goes on I think players will learn to bank it and keep it for the last 15-20.
