BRODIE CROFT has lifted the lid on his exit from Salford Red Devils, admitting that it was “daunting” to leave the Super League club.
Croft, who recently signed for Leeds Rhinos after being part of a £300,000 deal with fellow Salford man Andy Ackers, will be the man tasked with making the Rhinos tick in 2024.
But, the move almost didn’t happen with the halfback extremely torn between staying at Salford and leaving for Headingley – and now he has revealed why he did end up making the switch.
“It didn’t happen overnight and there were days when I was thinking I’d stay at Salford, then the next day I’d wake up and think [I’ll go to] Leeds,” Croft said.
“When it came to it I felt the pros of coming to Leeds outweighed the cons of staying at Salford. I made the decision for my family and my career and it’s exciting what we can do here with this squad.
“I was quite settled at Salford, I had just bought a house in Worsley and I loved the playing group and the coaches there. The prospect of leaving was a bit daunting and I didn’t know what to think of it at the time.
“There was a lot of to-ing and fro-ing and writing down the pros and cons of both Salford and Leeds. Both myself and my family, my future career – a lot of thought went into it. It didn’t happen overnight, that’s for sure.
“But at the end of the day I made the best decision I felt at the time for my family, myself and my career. And it really excited me, the prospect of this Leeds squad and the capabilities I am looking forward to hopefully fulfilling.”
So how long did the negotiations with the Rhinos last?
“It was at least a couple of weeks and it probably felt like longer than that. It was a long, drawn-out process.”
Croft does, however, feel for his former club Salford after a number of high-profile exits and financial issues.
“Yes, certainly. I’ve got a good relationship with the boys and Rowls so it was an extremely tough decision to leave, because of the people there. I loved playing with that group and the coaches there.
“When I do see all the stuff coming out about players leaving, it does hurt a bit, but in the same breath we are on to Leeds now and that’s where my mindset’s at.
“I am still good mates with all the people there and got good relationships with them.”
Croft was also linked with a move to the NRL at times last year, but the halfback has admitted that such talk came too late in the year.
“It was a bit late in the decision-making time. A lot of spots had filled up by that time anyway. My agent would have been ringing around.
“But when Leeds came up, a huge club like Leeds that has had so much success in the past and with the calibre of players they have and the coaches here, it really excited me, so I made my decision.”
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