Matt Dufty and the 6 standout stats behind his impressive start to 2024

Warrington Wolves have moved quickly to tie down in-form Australian full-back Matt Dufty to a new two-year contract.

The 28-year-old was due to be out of contract at the end of the current campaign, having arrived midway through the 2022 season from the NRL.

It has been a mixed start to Dufty’s career with Warrington – but no-one can argue that he isn’t one of the in-form players in Super League right now, being one of Sam Burgess’ key players in the early rounds of 2024.

Burgess has spoken publicly about how he and Martin Gleeson have worked with Dufty to evolve his game and get him more involved – and that move is proving to be a masterstroke, with the stats backing it up.

On the back of Dufty’s new contract announcement, Love Rugby League has delved into the stats, which make for impressive reading if you’re a Wire fan..

Super League’s top metre maker (so far)

The former St George Illawarra Dragons and Canterbury Bulldogs full-back is currently leading the way for metres made in Super League so far, with a staggering 933 in the opening five rounds.

Dufty has an average of more than 186 metres per game, which is evidence of him being freed up and allowed to play a more dominant role in Warrington’s attack.

Leading the way for carries made

Dufty is also sitting at the top of the leaderboard for carries made with 105 to his name already, averaging 21 carries per game thus far.

This stat is further proof of his involvement with the Wire this season.. He’s getting his hands on the ball more than ever before during his time in primrose and blue.

DON’T MISS: Breaking down Warrington Wolves’ strong Super League start and comparing to recent years

6 tries in 5 games

The Aussie speedster is currently second in Super League’s try scoring charts with six in five games, sitting only behind Leeds Rhinos winger Ash Handley, who has scored seven.

Dufty scored 14 tries in 30 games in all competitions in 2023, so he looks on course to easily surpass last season’s effort this time around.

5 assists

Dufty has five assists in five games, of course averaging an assist in each game he plays. If you closely look at some of Warrington’s attacking shapes in games, he almost acts as a third half-back at times with where he positions himself, and it’s proving dividends with the assists.

46 tackle busts – the highest in Super League

Another stat in which Dufty is leading the way for is tackle busts with 46 in just five games, averaging nine tackle busts per round.

The livewire full-back sits at the top of the rankings for tackle busts, eight ahead of second-placed Lachie Miller, the Leeds full-back.

Dufty’s speed and elusiveness is proving difficult for opposition defences to handle in the early rounds.

8 clean breaks

Sorry to sound like a broken record, but another category Dufty is top in is clean breaks. He has made eight clean breaks in the opening five rounds, two more than Castleford Tigers winger Innes Senior and Jack Welsby of St Helens. Not many stop Dufty once he breaks the line and is in full flight.

A mixed bag would probably be a fair way to describe Dufty’s Warrington journey so far, he’s shown glimpses plenty of times of what he is capable of, but an argument could be made for his inconsistency. Could 2024 be the year we see the best of Dufty? Well, judging by the early rounds, it’s looking that way.

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