Leigh Centurions coach John Duffy has expressed his delight with his club’s latest signing, NRL star Brendan Elliot, from the Manly Sea Eagles.
Elliot, 27, is a fullback or centre, and his utility value will be crucial for the Centurions as they try to retain their place in Super League.
“Brendan is a valuable addition and brings a lot of NRL experience to our club,” said Duffy.
“I’m looking forward to Brendan joining our group and coaching him. He’s played in some good teams and under some good coaches. I’m sure he will enjoy his time at our club and settle in quickly and add a lot to the group.”
A Queenslander born on the Gold Coast, Elliot toured England with the Australian Institute of Sport team in 2011.
He later represented Queensland Under-20s and made a try scoring NRL debut on the wing for the Roosters against Cronulla in July 2014.
His previous clubs include Newcastle Knights and Gold Coast Titans. Since 2014 Elliot has scored 21 tries in 66 NRL appearances.
And he has revealed that he almost signed with the Centurions almost three years ago.
“I’m really excited about the journey ahead,” he told Leigh TV.
“I nearly came over to Leigh in 2018 but it didn’t work out and so it will be great to finally make the move.
“Back in 2018 I spoke to Peter Matautia about Leigh and he said it was a really good club and the fans were passionate about Rugby League.
“I’ve played at four NRL clubs alongside some of the big names of the game and hopefully I can bring experience and knowledge to the team.
“I’ve loved my time at Manly and got a lot of game time in the past two seasons. It’s been great playing under (coach) Des Hasler and alongside great players like Tom Trbojevic, but now it’s time for a new chapter.
“It’s a massive opportunity for me to come to play in England and everyone I’ve spoken to from the club so far have been extremely welcoming and passionate about the game. I’m looking forward to getting in and around the club and doing my best for the team.”
Leigh have been monitoring Elliot’s fitness closely after he sustained a knee injury in mid-August, which ruled him out of the rest of the NRL season. But the club is happy that he has fully recovered from that injury.
“Brendan is a quality player who is highly regarded by contacts we hold in high esteem in the NRL,” said Leigh owner Derek Beaumont.
“His injury has obviously set him back and we calmed our interest to monitor how that went, but he is progressing really well and will be ready for the early rounds.
“When a player is prepared to be judged on that and make the trip across the world to join you, knowing he has to come good, it tells you everything you need to know about where he is at.
“There’s a real bad perception of the UK in Australia at the moment with Covid and Brendan is rightly concerned about that, but he discussed everything at length with me and did his own research before agreeing to the move.
“Having got him over the line for it not to happen in 2018, I am really looking forward to seeing Brendan in a Leigh shirt and add depth and experience to the squad we are building.”
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