Daniel Vidot’s nightmare start to his Salford career will come to an end when he makes his long-awaited debut on Saturday, but despite a traumatic start to life in England, he has found one very major positive.
The 26-year-old swapped Brisbane for Salford in the off-season, and with it came a few ‘subtle’ differences. Near faultless weather and stunning beaches were just part of the job during Vidot’s time at the Broncos, and, in the nicest respect to Greater Manchester, it doesn’t quite accommodate such luxuries.
In fact, Vidot’s shoulder injury has meant his time in England has almost been as miserable as the daily forecast over the AJ Bell Stadium, but on the eve of his much-anticipated debut, an upturn in the weather means Vidot has managed to miss the brunt of the bad conditions, and he isn’t afraid to express his relief in doing so.
“When I got injured, Sheensy (Tim Sheens) told me to look on the bright side of things and that I’d be starting to play when the sun comes out. We’ve had a bit of a joke about it, but I’m definitely liking this weather a lot more now. It’s getting warmer now so it’s a lot easier for me to adjust to that having been used to the Australia weather.
“It’s going to be a tough challenge for us on Saturday. I was at the game we played there earlier in the year and the atmosphere is unbelievable. All the fans get amongst you so I’m very much looking forward to it.”
His return to action also gives Vidot his first opportunity to experience the Challenge Cup, and the Samoan international is already dreaming of a Wembley berth.
The concept is something of a novelty to Vidot, with the NRL having nothing in comparison to the prestigious knockout competition, but it hasn’t taken him long to buy into the importance of the cup.
“They’ve explained to me just how big the Challenge Cup is over here. Hopefully I get the chance to play at Wembley, I’ve heard a lot of good things about it, so I want to get my head down and do my part for the team so we can try and reach that goal.
“It’s been a wild journey for me so far, but I’m pumped and come Saturday it’s time for me to make up for some lost time and I can’t wait to show what I’m about here.”
