Thursday 10 July 2014 17:25, UK
It’s been a case of one in, one out in terms of half-backs at Castleford (well, it will be by the end of the season at least).
While Marc Sneyd will be heading to Hull FC next year (more on him later), the Tigers have announced the signing of Ben Roberts from Melbourne Storm for 2015 and beyond.
Signing halves from overseas has been a common theme for Super League. There have been plenty of success stories but also some that haven’t panned out. They are judged on what they do on the field, obviously, but a key part to playing in Europe is how you settle off the field. I should know, because that’s the situation I was in when I came to the London Broncos.
I was playing at the Roosters the year before I arrived in Super League. I’d actually been in negotiations with them about extending my stay for another season, and coming to play in England had never really entered my mind until the offer came up.
One of the selling points for me about London was that I had about half-a-dozen or so friends who were working or travelling to there, so it all just seemed to fit together. It rather made my decision for me.
I thought it would be a short trip over, a couple of years playing in Super League and then head back. Best laid plans, and all that…
From what I remember we spoke on the phone briefly and then it was a pretty quick turnaround. Having made the decision to come, it was about a month later when the move was happening. It was pretty easy then to up and go.
I was put in accommodation with a few of the other boys to start with, then ended up moving in with Jon Wells at one point. The club put me up in a shared house straight away.
It was about 6.30am in the morning when I landed it Heathrow, then I got dropped off at the house. Tyronne Smith was in there as well, the brother of Wallabies international George and someone I knew from back home with the Roosters, was asleep in bed. Other than that, it was pitch back and I was sitting in the middle of a room in Isleworth, thinking what have I done?
This was the start of November and it was certainly an experience for me. We would get home from training at two or three o’clock and suddenly it would be dark in an hour or so. It wouldn’t be light again until 9.30am the next day – it was all a bit surreal to me at the time, to be honest. In fact, it was a real good mixture of emotions – strange, weird, scary and exciting.
I’d signed early and then, not long after, Thomas Leuluai joined. Mark McLinden followed, and suddenly I was thinking I wasn’t going to get a game at all.
There were times when I wondered if I’d done the right thing. It was usually in the winter, too. Every pre-season most players probably ask exactly why they are doing what they are doing, why they are getting up early in the morning to run up hills in the middle of winter.
But we’d actually had quite a big turnover of players for that year, as often happened with the Broncos, and so fitting in wasn’t too bad, because so many of us were new faces. Everyone in my shared house was certainly fresh to the club.
The playing side of it too a lot of getting used to. There were some quality, quality sides and that made it tough.
There were times when I wondered if I’d done the right thing. It was usually in the winter, too. Every pre-season most players probably ask exactly why they are doing what they are doing, why they are getting up early in the morning to run up hills in the middle of winter.
It was somewhat of an intimidating time; I didn’t have a lot of money in my pocket and knew of few other people other than those involved in the club. I had a cousin in Nottingham and another in London, plus some friends over here. But they were working and travelling themselves.
People must think it’s quite easy to come from the southern hemisphere and just fit right in, but it can be a pretty daunting time.
Being in London may have been easier because there was so much going on, it is such a vibrant city. I know when I came up north the first time it was a different experience again, although by then I’d luckily spent a bit of time in the UK.
Now, of course, I’m settled into life here. Now I have to offer help and reach out to help those that are coming over for the first time. Myself and my family have had some great people help us over the years. Rob Purdham and his wife, Sarah, were particularly brilliant when I first got over here.
While we have one new half-back due to arrive at the Jungle, another will be leaving at the end of the season. Sneyd is one of the great young talents in England. He’s also a good kid, and someone I’ve enjoyed playing alongside (not that we are finished being in the same team just yet!).
You want to pay it forward because I know from experience it’s a long way to come without a support network. People with kids have no one else to rely on in terms of help. You go out of your way to look after the new recruits, reach out and try to get in touch with them before they’ve even arrived so they know you’re here to help them make the transition as smooth as possible.
The fans are entitled to see players however they see fit. But it is pretty hard to be away from family and friends, which is the part people don’t see. From myself and my family, we have no parents, or aunties and uncles, to rely on at a drop of a hat to take care of our daughter. Everything for us has to be planned out. Those are the sort of things people perhaps don’t consider when they’re on the outside, but that’s the hardest transition to make.
Those factors can weigh heavily on a player’s mind, they can end up being taken onto the field. It’s why you see plenty of overseas signings come and go, but understand it’s never something anyone does lightly. We shouldn’t criticise too much if people aren’t enjoying it.
While we have one new half-back due to arrive at the Jungle, another will be leaving at the end of the season. Sneyd is one of the great young talents in England. He’s also a good kid, and someone I’ve enjoyed playing alongside (not that we are finished being in the same team just yet!)
He came to the Tigers perhaps without having much of a say in where he was going to end up, but you’d have never have known it from the get-go. He worked hard, fought tooth and nail for a spot in the team and since then, hasn’t taken a backwards step.
Castleford will be etched in his memory as the place that got him on the rugby league map. Equally, being at the club has probably been good for him on a personal level, as well as professionally.
And finally…it wouldn’t be right if a man now living and working in Yorkshire didn’t mention the Tour de France. My family and I went down to watch the Grand Depart down on the Headrow. It was so good – the bikes were past in a matter of seconds, as well as all the cars that follow, but it was so well done. They were receptive to the crowd and there was an amazing feel to the city.
I’ve no idea really what happens in the actual race, but I’ve been glued to it ever since. The county as a whole did a tremendous job and it was nice to get to see such a sporting spectacle that wouldn’t normally be possible unless I went to France to chase the cyclists around.
