KEIGHLEY COUGARS have an incredibly exciting squad to take into the 2023 Championship season.
Under Rhys Lovegrove, the West Yorkshire club has come on leaps and bounds in recent seasons, so much so, that people are crediting Keighley as a potential Super League side.
In Lovegrove, they have someone who can attract big names. And there are perhaps none as big as former Hull FC, Leeds Rhinos and Castleford Tigers halfback Luke Gale.
Signing with the Cougar Park side took a number of people by surprise, but Gale has now revealed that he rebuffed Super League interest in order to strike a perfect deal at Keighley.
“There were a number of things why I chose Keighley,” Gale told League Express.
“I spoke to a couple of (Super League) clubs early on and I suppose dropping down a level got me thinking about longevity and what I would like to do after.
“I was doing a pre-season by myself, as I had no contract, so I took a step back from rugby league. I trained by myself and kept myself fit. I gave myself some time off away, which is something I’ve never done. I’ve done 15 years straight as a professional.
“That break was very good for the mind. I was doing some training with Chris Black at Driven Athlete and he’s a conditioner at Keighley.
“And then I met up with Rhys (Lovegrove). Rhys was a big reason why I joined. i think his style of rugby and his forward-thinking about the game is quite refreshing.
“It gives me a new lease of life into the next step so it’s something I’m really looking forward to.
“It was almost like whether i wanted to play on to be honest and I suppose coming here helped me with that. I’m 34-years-old and I’ve got probably got one or two years at the most. I can’t last forever.
“Coming to Keighley is the perfect step into the next stage of my career, but I’ve definitely got plenty of footy left in me.
Gale also believes that he has nothing to prove to anyone about being a ‘Super League-quality player’ and that the lifestyle he enjoyed through the period of training on his own suited him.
“A one-year contract to prove I could play Super League (wasn’t for me), I’ve played Super League for 15 years and probably played close to 400 games. I didn’t need to prove to anyone I was a Super League player.
“The lifestyle change to part-time suited me. I got more time with my family when I gave myself a few months off and I’d not done that for so long. I woke up with my kids and took them to school and I really enjoyed that.”
