ABOUT time!
It’s good to see that Leeds have finally made a couple of top-quality signings which reflect the status of the club in the shape of Brodie Croft and Andy Ackers from Salford.
There had been plenty of noise about Croft coming to Headingley, but Ackers was an added extra when news of the completion of the two deals came out.
I’ve given Gary Hetherington and Rohan Smith a fair amount of stick in recent times, so it’s only right to say well done on bringing in these two.
I’ve liked Croft ever since he shone at scrum-half for Melbourne Storm against Leeds in the 2018 World Club Challenge, playing alongside Cameron Munster, scoring a try and generally ripping the Rhinos apart in his side’s 38-4 victory.
It looked like he was in line to succeed Cooper Cronk, but it didn’t work out for him at either the Storm or his next club, which was Brisbane Broncos.
Salford did a great bit of business by bringing him across the globe ahead of the 2022 season, when he was outstanding and deservedly won the Man of Steel award, and he’s done well again this time, even if he couldn’t get the Red Devils back to the play-offs.
The same goes for Ackers, who has developed into a top-class international hooker since signing for Salford from Toronto Wolfpack in 2020.
It’s interesting to note that he spent time at both Wigan and Warrington as a youngster but that both those clubs let him go.
That underlines the point I’ve made many times, that the Academy system that so many are obsessed with isn’t all it’s cracked up to be and that there is plenty of talent outside that system.
Alex Walmsley is my go-to example, but Ackers is another, because while he didn’t make it at either Wigan or Warrington, he stuck to his guns and showed his worth with Swinton and London Broncos before Toronto took him on and, with his help, won promotion to Super League before their demise.
That enabled Salford to make their move and he’s shown himself to be a top all-round number nine with good awareness, good decision making, good service and a clever kicking game.
As I said at the top of this article, these are the kind of signings Leeds should be making, and having let Danny McGuire go to Castleford as assistant to new coach Craig Lingard (more of that later), I’d like to see another raid on the Red Devils, with Paul Rowley brought in to work alongside Rohan Smith with a view to succeeding him as head coach at some stage.
That’s what happened with Brian McDermott who, after coaching London Broncos (or Harlequins as they were then), worked under Brian McClennan before taking the reins and achieving great things at Headingley.
Rowls must feel like he’s working with one hand tied behind his back at Salford, and it’s going to take some doing to get over the loss of two such valuable players.
I wonder what the Salford supporters who earlier this year shelled out to become part of the community share scheme in a bid to keep hold of the club’s leading players are thinking now.
I’ve long had a bit of soft spot for Salford – I always enjoyed playing at The Willows – and I was pleased to see them make the Grand Final in 2019 and the Challenge Cup Final the year after.
Rowls has done a top job in succession to Ian Watson, who at Huddersfield has struggled to replicate the success he enjoyed with Salford, but I fear they are going to struggle going forward.
