SIGNING a seven-year contract is often unheard of in sport – least of all Super League.
There have been four and five year deals signed in the past, whilst the NRL has been willing to hand out long-term contracts.
Jason Taumalolo of the North Queensland Cowboys, for example, gained fame by etching a ten-year deal.
For Brodie Croft, Salford’s hero in 2022 after winning the Man of Steel and guiding the Red Devils to the Super League semi-finals, he knew instantly he wanted to re-sign with the club that gave him a chance in the UK.
“Deep down I felt like I wanted to re-sign with Salford just because of what the club has given to me and the joy they’ve brought my family,” Croft told League Express.
I’ve been here just one year but it was such a privilege and I didn’t want the year to end as I was having so much fun.
“The people at the club (are so good), Ian Blease and Rowls (Paul Rowley) have done really well with the recruitment to get this roster together.
“From the players or the coaches from the backroom staff to the performance staff, the people that work here are genuinely good people who are great to be around.”
However, there was perhaps a time when Croft felt as though his time on the big stage had gone after a difficult year at the Brisbane Broncos in 2021.
Now he has opened up on those “dark days” but he doesn’t hold any grudges.
“”It definitely was difficult. There were some dark days there mentally, not just for myself but for my family,” Croft continued.
“It’s kind of hard to reflect on some of those times but it certainly builds character times like that and I’m just really blessed to be in the position I am in now and in the environment i am in.
“It’s not really for me to say, people can have their opinions and I respect their opinions. At the end of the day one, people get paid for their opinions, we get paid to play rugby league and coaches get paid to coach.
“It’s my job out there to do a job for my team each week and it’s a journalist’s job to make comments and opinions and I respect them.”
Making the move from the NRL to Super League can often be a difficult one, but after talking to Rowley, Croft knew it was the right move to take.
“When I first spoke to Paul on the phone, he gave me a lot of confidence in how he wants to play and the freedom that he does provide for myself and the team.
“The accountability he holds each and every player to, he’s very black and white in what he wants and I like that about him. He lets you know where you stand.
“He rewards you when you do something well and comes down hard on you when you don’t and I admire that about him.
