MATT King wants to make a big impact with Wolves next season after sacrificing his spot in the Australian national team to join the club at the peak of his career.

Wolves have sensationally captured one of Australia's leading lights on a four-year deal - with an option for a further year - from 2008 and majority shareholder Simon Moran hopes the 26-year-old's centre partnership with Martin Gleeson will be 'potentially the best in Super League'.

Wolves came from nowhere to gazump Wigan and Hull KR in a last-minute bid to sign King, who can also play on the wing.

The 6ft 3in New South Wales star has exercised a clause in his contract with current NRL leaders and 2006 minor premiers Melbourne Storm, allowing him to move to England a year before his contract ends.

And he wants to make the most of the fact that he is moving to Super League a lot earlier in his career than many Kangaroos in the past.

"I don't want to come to Warrington and be a passenger," he told the Warrington Guardian.

"I suppose a lot of Aussies go over there when they're at the end of their career but I'm definitely happy with my form at the moment and I'll look to have a really good pre-season over there and get myself fully fit.

"I'd really like to think I can come over there, make a difference and help the club out.

"I've had some success in the last couple of seasons so I'd hate to go backwards from that, I'd hope to go over there and be part of a successful club."

Wolves only joined the running last week for King, who has nine caps for Australia and six tries in nine Origin games but unlikely to be selected again because of his move to England.

The club were focusing on targets in other positions before making a late decision to bid before the deadline for offers.

King, who possesses power and pace and has scored 52 tries in 82 NRL matches, said: "I really feel as if I've made the right choice. They're getting a pretty good list together for next year and hopefully it will be an exciting time for the club.

"I took a lot of advice from a lot of people. Jamie Lyon was the bloke who got me really interested in going to Super League. I spoke to both Andrew Johns and David Kidwell, too."

King, who shared a flat with Michael Sullivan during their days at Cronulla, will have an option for a fifth year at Wolves if he plays a set amount of games in his fourth season, although the option works in Wolves' favour if he does not play that amount of matches.

He has been criticised in Australia for moving to England so early but he explained: "I wouldn't call myself an out and out footballer. When I was 21 I had a year off sport to try new things and that was the best thing for me.

"I realised that footy was a pretty good way of life, so when this opportunity came to experience a new part of the world there was nothing to hold me back because I don't have any children. I just see it as a great opportunity and I still get to do the one thing I love, which is playing footy."

Cullen has suggested Paul Johnson could be used more in the second row next year, with Adrian Morley and Ben Westwood able to move to prop if necessary.

On King, Moran said: "We were thinking about other positions but then we decided to try to get him."

Cullen added: "For most of this deal, it appeared to be done and dusted elsewhere."