Luke Hooley insists he is not joining Leeds Rhinos to make up the numbers, and when you consider his journey to get to this point, it is perhaps not surprising he has that mindset. The 24-year-old is one of a number of talented young players from outside of Super League whom the Rhinos have handed contracts to for 2023, with Hooley signing a two-year deal.
But Hooley's story so far is unlike any of Leeds' other new recruits. He first crossed paths with Leeds head coach Rohan Smith as a junior at Bradford before the club were liquidated - and Smith actually wanted to give him a full-time contract prior to the Bulls' demise.
That led to him signing a three-year deal with Wakefield before dropping down to the Championship with Batley Bulldogs, where he earned a reputation as one of the best young players outside of Super League. And Hooley hopes his story has shown that stepping away from the top-flight does not signify the end of your career after landing a dream deal with Leeds.
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"If you're in Super League and come through the Academies there you don't want to drop down," he told Rugby League Live. "You think you're better than it, and going part-time for a lot of players and going out to get a job is some lads' worst nightmares. But for me, I found that it was one of the best things I ever did.
"Rohan was wanting to give me a first-team contract at Bradford. I only had one year at under-19s left when Bradford were liquidated and I was really worried but I got a deal at Wakefield, played three or four games there and then signed a three-year deal. It didn't work out unfortunately but that's the game, and the best thing I did in my life was dropping down to Batley.
"I enjoyed rugby again, and getting a job meant you could earn more money combining that with part-time than if you were on a basic full-time contract in Super League. So it's not as bad as people think it will be, or at least that was my experience. When I was going to Batley, it didn't feel like work because I was actually working through the days. You appreciate what you've got a lot more, for sure."
But having landed his return to Super League, Hooley is in no mood to simply sit on the sidelines.
He said: "My goal is to play. I'm not here to make the numbers up this year, that's for sure. It's a two-year deal but I want to play. I've done the academy way, waiting in the wings for a chance, and I'm 24 now. I told that to Rohan, I'm not a kid anymore, I'm a guy who's played regular rugby and I'm here to play games.
"It's a bit surreal, to be honest. What they've got here facility-wise is unbelievable. To play for Leeds is a lot of peoples' dream and I always said my aim was to get back to Super League. Whether it happened was another issue but to get the move is absolutely incredible. I guess it shows hard work pays off."
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