THERE was a point where Hull KR’s Elliot Minchella feared he would never get anywhere near 200 senior appearances.
Indeed, as a teenager at Leeds, his career could have been over before it had barely begun when he admitted assaulting a student. After re-starting at part-time level for London, Sheffield and Bradford, Minchella earned another chance at Super League with the Robins. But he then saw most of his 2021 campaign wiped out by a knee reconstruction.
However, the creative No13 is flying again now and proving to be one of KR's most influential players. He chalks up his big double ton milestone in Perpignan on Saturday. And Minchella cites those setbacks as a driving force, explaining: “That’s been in the forefront of my mind: dealing with adversity, injuries, off-field stuff and to come back stronger from that.
“There’s times when you're injured and playing seems a long way away. But you just have to keep faith in yourself and keep working hard. That’s what I’ve done. I’m really proud to get to 200 games - and now want to rack more up. I’m not done yet. I’m just getting started!”
Still just 27, Minchella’s right. He’s coming into his peak years and looking to get Rovers’ renaissance firing again. Before losing their last two games, they were near the top of Super League and are still only four points adrift of leaders Catalans. But they head there tomorrow having lost key forwards Jesse Sue and James Batchelor to long-term injuries suffered at Magic Weekend.
Minchella said: “I’m disappointed for those two fellas and it’s up to us lads who are going out there to lead the pack around. There is more responsibility for me but I do quite enjoy that. When your backs are against the wall you either stand up and be counted or back down. We don’t back down from a challenge.
“There’s none bigger than going over to Catalans, the current leaders, when we’re down on troops. They played after us at Magic and we saw them put 46 points on Wigan. Any team that does that is a great side. But I’m looking forward to facing their pack and the lads coming in will be enthusiastic. They’re playing for their shirts, too.”
And with talk of an England call-up, Minchella hopes to keep showing his own class. He said: “It’s definitely an ambition of mine. It’s something I’ve thought about. To get in those conversations you need to be playing well consistently and that’s what I’m aiming for: staying fit, playing well and doing it for a long period of time. But I just want to perform well for KR. It’s an exciting place to be at the moment.”
