Greatest Leeds Kiwi of all time nominee - Craig Innes

As our search for the greatest ever Kiwi to play for Leeds Rugby League goes on, here is the third of our profiles on a potential winner - Craig Innes.

As our search for the greatest ever Kiwi to play for Leeds Rugby League goes on, here is the third of our profiles on a potential winner – Craig Innes.

Ahead of the Rugby League World Cup clash between World Champions New Zealand and Papua New Guinea at Headingley Carnegie on Friday 8th November, Leeds Rhinos have launched a poll for fans to decide who the greatest ever Kiwi was that played for the club.

We will have profiles on the leading candidates over the next ten days and fans have until midday on Wednesday 6th November to cast their vote and we will announce the club's Greatest Ever Kiwi on Thursday 7th November ahead of the clash between New Zealand and Papua New Guinea the next day.

To book your ticket now the World Cup clash go to www.rlwc2013.com/tickets and to cast your vote click here

We caught up with Craig earlier this year to catch up on his recollections from his time in blue and amber. 

Obviously you played Union first but did you have any involvement in league growing up?
No, the first game of League I ever played was midweek on a frozen Widnes pitch for the Leeds second team. I was thrown in at 6 to make things really interesting which looking back is kind of comical because my biggest fear pre-game was playing the ball between my legs properly!!! I then debuted for Leeds first team against Ryedale-York in a Challenge Cup game the following Saturday.

John Gallagher was in the All Blacks side when you made your debut, did his switch have an influence on you?
Just before I switched there had been a few of my All Black teammates cross over , Matt Ridge, Frano Botica and of course John. It made my decision to come to Leeds easier knowing John would be there although in the end we only played a handful of games together before he moved on.

You eventually switched codes in 1991 after the World Cup, did you know you would head to league when you came to the UK for the tournament?
No I didn't exactly although I had been thinking of a switch for a while and had been contacted by a number of Australian clubs. I had been an admirer of Ellery Hanley and Garry Schofield for a while and thought it would be great to play with them. In the end those two taught me a huge amount about the game and I have fond memories of running into holes created by Garry and Ellery turning up from all over the place to score tries, amazing talents.

How did your move to Leeds come about?
After the 1991 World cup I stayed in the UK to play some Union for the Bedford club. One night I received a call from Dougie Laughton who was keen to come down and chat to me about Leeds. I said yeah why not and we caught up the following night. Besides not being able to understand a bloody word he said in his broad Lancashire accent, I agreed to travel up to Leeds with him the following day to check the place out. While looking around the club I meet Morvin Edwards and Bobby Goulding who seemed like good guys and within about a week I signed with Leeds. Morvin and Bobby would become two of my closest mates. 

What were your first impressions when you arrived at Headingley?
It is obviously an impressive venue but more importantly for me visiting for the first time it just felt special and in a strange way I felt very comfortable being there. I had no idea at that time what an incredible and electric place it would transform into when packed with the Leeds faithful! I have played in a lot of big stadiums around the World but my favourite was a packed Headingley and the atmosphere generated by the Leeds supporters. Of course they would let us know if things weren’t going as they should but everyone would be back the following week to cheer us on!

Who did you hang out with in the Leeds team?
Well I guess that can be broken down into two era's as when I first arrived I spent a lot of time with Bobby Goulding and Morvin Edwards but those two were to leave after my second season and then came the influx of Kiwis such as Kevin Iro, Gary Mercer, Tony Kemp, Carl Hall, George Mann etc… We obviously had a common bond but to be honest as a team we were very tight and there were no distinctions based on where you were from. Jimmy Fallon arrived from down south and became a good mate, Ian Scott arrived from Cumbria and I guess because we were all away from home we spent a lot of time together. But really we were all mates and I loved turning up for training if for nothing else but the comical banter of the changing room and the comradeship we shared as a group.

There were a lot of Kiwis in the game over here back then, did you used to meet up?
Yes there were Kiwis playing at most clubs and we would catch up for the odd night out or organize card games that would go through to the early hours. I have vivid memories of guys being hauled home at 6:00 am by their wives who would turn up not very pleased!! It was a lot of fun and some real characters amongst them.

Are there any games that stick out for you from your time at Leeds?
Any game that involved Wigan or St Helen's at Headingley was always huge and intense. There’s no particular game that really stands out but my overriding memory is of packed stands and excitement when the team did well at home. We had very talented players and when we were on we would rip any team apart but for some reason as a group we lacked the consistency of what was a very good Wigan side at the time, it was always good to get over them and especially at home In front of our supporters.

What are your memories of your two Wembley appearances for Leeds?
As I mentioned I have been lucky enough to play some very big games and in some very impressive stadiums but having the honour of playing in a Challenge cup Final at Wembley transcends a game of Rugby in so many ways. The share enormity of the stadium and more importantly the occasion is something I will never forget. I grew up watching cup finals at Wembley but I guess never dreamt that one day I would be involved. The biggest buzz I got from the whole experience was the share euphoria of my English team mates and the supporters who really were realizing their childhood dreams of traveling South to London for what truly is one of the great sporting occasions. Of course as someone who likes to win the fact that we fell short doesn't sit well but to be a part of it was amazing.

You grew up playing alongside Inga Tuigamala, what was it like playing opposite him?
Haha…well I played a part in getting Inga to Wigan by picking him up from the All Black hotel and driving him to his first meeting with the club, something I should regret!! We grew up together and when we played Union I would often have to get stuck into him and tell him to “stop being lazy and get involved” he would then get angry and run riot!!! This of course was often at the forefront of my mind when those giant thighs were all of a sudden bearing down on me at the speed of light during our League careers!! There is no doubt that coming to League and Wigan transformed Inga into a great player and even though I should regret my part in getting him there I don't as I was happy to see him doing so well, more so when I wasn't on the receiving end mind you!! Inga now runs his own Undertaking business in Auckland and if he was the “Black Bus” back then he is the “Black Jumbo Jet” now, it is fair to say that it was my old mate Inga who in fact ate all the pies!! haha..

Were you disappointed with how your time at Leeds came to an end?
Yes, my depa
rture from the club was messy and embroiled in controversy due to the Super League / ARL war of the time. Having signed with the ARL I became somewhat of a pawn in a tug of war between the two groups. My biggest regret was not being able to farewell my teammates or the Leeds supporters properly before heading to Australia to pick up with my new club the Manly Sea Eagles. I regret that to this day even though my time at Manly was enjoyable and successful.

Do you ever see any of your old Leeds team mates back home in New Zealand?
I see the likes of Tony Kemp and Kev Iro from time to time. Most of the Kiwi guys who were at the club are actually still in the UK. A great thing has been the ability to reconnect with a lot of my former team mates after all these years as well as with a lot of the Leeds supporters through social media like twitter and Facebook. I enjoy the banter from the fans after and during Rhino games especially now that I am also a supporter!

Do you still keep in touch with how the Rhinos are getting on?
Yes, I have kept an eye on the team since the day I left and am extremely proud of my Leeds RL heritage! I have enjoyed the success of the team over the past ten years as much as any supporter and hope in some way our era lay the foundations for what would follow.

What are you up to these days?
These days I am a partner and director of a sports agency (Esportif International Ltd) managing the careers of young sports people. Being New Zealand you won't be surprised to learn that the majority of our clients are Rugby League and Union players although we do have Netball, Hockey and Olympic athletes on our books as well, oh and a Boxer! When not running around after this lot I have two daughters keeping me on my toes!!

Do you miss anything from your time in Yorkshire/Leeds?
My time in Leeds was fantastic and I have nothing but fond memories of the club, my teammates and the people who supported us.
I consider myself extremely lucky to have had the experience of being in Leeds for four years and wish the club and its supporters every continued success.