Salford winger Justin Carney has opened up about his departure from Castleford and admitted he is to blame, but he will not walk away from his contract.
Carney was suspended by the club due to off-field misdemeanours, with allegations that he had an affair with the partner of a team-mate. He subsequently joined the Red Devils on a one-year loan deal.
The powerhouse winger, who had a phenomenal try-scoring record of over a try per game at Cas, is due to return to the Mend-A-Hose Jungle on March 13th, where he has a contract until 2019.
However, the Australian winger, who became a cult hero during his time at the Tigers, insists he will see out his contract for the sake of his family.
“I know the reception I’m going to get at Cas isn’t going to be a good one but that’s my own undoing,” he told PA Sport.
“That’s no one’s fault. I’ve just got to do my job and get on with it.
“What’s happened has happened; it’s my fault entirely and I don’t hate anyone for that. I don’t carry any hatred towards anyone. I did the wrong thing and I hold my hands up.
“But when it comes down to it, I’m not going to walk away from my contract. Everyone that I talked to has shaken their head at that but I’ve made that decision.
“A lot of people are going to go against me but I’m in it to do what’s best for me and my family. That’s a big part of me. I want my kids to say ‘I’m proud of my dad’.”
Whether Carney has a future at Cas remains to be seen, however unlikely it may be. But in the short-term, the 27-year-old is focusing on life at Salford as they aim to reach the top eight of Super League.
“My main focus is to get this six or seven months out of the road, get down to what I do best,” he said.
“That other stuff will take care of itself, it goes with how I perform out on the field.
“When I first went to Cas, it was a young side with a lot of potential. When Daryl Powell took over, there were a lot of good people in the right places to make the club go forward.
“People wrote this club off and to be honest I did beforehand but, after being here and with this group of guys, in years down the line I see it going up levels.
“There are a lot of people who work hard. There’s a long way to go but there’s a lot of potential at this club and there is nothing to say we can’t do something this year.”