2022 could be labelled as a year of redemption for Paul Vaughan.

The previous year saw him banned for eight matches, receive a heavy fine and released by St George Illawarra Dragons after breaking Covid restrictions by hosting a barbecue at his Sydney home.

Having been picked up by Canterbury Bulldogs, however, the front rower rediscovered the kind of form that saw him earn New South Wales and Australia selection.

He was among the NRL’s top performing props and in that sense, his decision to move to Warrington Wolves for 2023 caught a few by surprise.

Now he’s gearing up for his first season in Super League, the 31-year-old reflected on the past couple of years and explained why he has made the move.

“I wanted to come back from what I had been through and prove to myself I could still play some good footy,” he said.

“I wanted to feel satisfied and I think I did that with the Bulldogs.

“Maybe I could have done a couple more years, but I feel like I’m coming off a good season.

“I feel good physically and I’m hungry, so I’ll try and play as well as I can.

“I probably could have gone on for another couple of years over there, but I wanted something new for myself and my family.

“It will be something new for the kids and it’s an important life lesson for them to see what else is out there.”

Vaughan has arrived in England alongside his long-time Dragons teammate Josh McGuire while Matt Dufty, who also played with both at St George, got a head start on his move to The Wire having spent the final weeks of the 2022 campaign in England.

As he adjusts to life on the other side of the world with wife Elle and their two young daughters, he says having a little piece of home with him makes all the difference especially at this special time of year.

“It makes things a lot easier when you’ve got familiar faces around you,” he said.

“We’re on the other side of the world but it makes you feel nice and comfortable.

“We’re looking forward to Christmas over here and doing some travelling – I hope the kids get to see some snow!”

Make no mistake, though, this is no holiday for the big front rower.

Alongside McGuire, Sam Kasiano and Gil Dudson, he has been brought in as part of a complete overhaul of the Warrington pack with the aim of changing their fortunes.

Coming off their worst ever Super League campaign, it is a ground-up rebuild for The Wire and Vaughan says that was part of the attraction.

“It’s always good to come in during a rebuild phase, especially if things go positively,” he said.

“You can build some good connections and the chance to really make a difference was pretty exciting. It comes back to coming over here and having a hunger to work hard.

“I think for Moose (McGuire) and myself, we’re not just coming over for a bit of a holiday. We’re coming here to play some good footy.

“Everyone has good intentions and we’ll carry that through pre-season.”