BRODIE Croft is ready to continue life outside rugby league’s stereotypical box – that is why he left for Leeds.
The Aussie half back opens his competitive Rhinos career against the club he departed in Salford.
Off the field, things could not appear more different. Leeds have just about everything on tap, the Red Devils certainly do not.
But Croft knows facilities do not make players. Attitudes and coaching do, and he feels new boss Rohan Smith has echoes of Paul Rowley, who he flourished under.
Croft said: “The biggest similarity between Rohan and Paul is they think outside the box. They don’t want to be just straight down, five drives and a kick.
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“There are a lot of similarities, which definitely helped me with the decision. I was going to a club with a coach of a similar mindset to Paul’s, which I really agreed with.
“I’ve got everything now in one place. Leeds is a bigger club but I won’t say having better facilities helps me concentrate – they’re not the be all and end all.
“At Salford, we didn’t have too much but we had a good playing group and everyone bought into where we wanted to go as a team. That gives you no excuses.”
Croft is one of several new faces at Headingley. A completely new spine of him, Lachlan Miller, Matt Frawley and pal from Salford Andy Ackers is the most notable change.
But the 26-year-old says being part of a side that could get them back to the top makes the challenge more exciting.
He added: “It does feel like a bit of a rebuild but we’ve had exciting conversations as a group and as individuals with the coaches – everyone seems to be on board.
“Leeds just missed out on the play-offs by a couple of games last year we don’t want to be thereabouts. We want to be winning silverware.
“That was another factor for me, being part of a team that can win silverware and I really believe in the squad and coaches.
“I wouldn’t say it was an easy decision to leave. Leaving that playing group at Salford was the hardest thing.
“I’ll be forever grateful for what they and the coaches did for me in my two years there - and I was contracted, so I didn’t have to leave but I felt it was the right thing for all parties.”
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Croft feels the noise
Croft has already felt the noise after swapping Salford for Leeds – he has from 6.30 every morning.
Heading over the M62 with team-mate Ackers, who followed him to the Rhinos from the Red Devils, guarantees it.
The Australian half-back star is arguably the big signing of 2023 as a whole as boss Rohan Smith looks to build his side back into regular contenders.
But he feels hooker Ackers is just as important, even though it rarely means a quiet morning.
Croft said: “I’m carpooling with Andy, He’s always good for a chat and is never short of a few words.
“I’d have a few tracks on the stereo but he talks that much, I can’t hear what’s going on.
“We meet at 6.30am every day, alternating the drive to Leeds, and it’s that early, we’re normally ahead of the traffic queues – it doesn’t stop me checking every morning though!
“But I’ve moved to a good environment with great facilities and I’m enjoying it – and having Andy here too will help, even though there was a moment the other day when I said, ‘Can you just be quiet!’
“Having that relationship on the field, as I get the ball from him, really helps and off the field, we get along really well. We’re great mates and knowing Leeds wanted him too really excited me."
Former Steve Prescott Man of Steel winner Croft - who did not play in Boxing Day's 41-22 trial win over Wakefield as he was back in Australia - already knows he is at a bigger club in Leeds, but facilities do not make teams play well.
The spirit he found at Salford, where he was contracted until 2030, made it difficult to leave – returning Down Under to play was never really an option.
But taking some of that with him will go a long way to helping the Rhinos live up to their billing.
If he does not, he will have some of wife Safina’s family to answer to – her aunties, uncles and cousins live in the city.
Croft, 26, added: “My agent looked at all options to see what was out there but as soon as Leeds came up, I felt it was a really good fit.
“Going with Andy too was big and I was excited by what they’re building at Leeds, it’s something I want to be a part of.”
