Interview with Sam Luckley
Jan 12, 2021 23:57:58 GMT
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Carnster, Red Dave, and 3 more like this
Post by redunderthebed on Jan 12, 2021 23:57:58 GMT
Another good interview on rugbyleaguehub.com. Well worth the subscription but for those of you not able to get through the paywall ...
BY ROSS HEPPENSTALL
SAM LUCKLEY should have been gearing up for his first season at Ottawa Aces in League 1 right now, in what would have been the latest chapter in an unlikely rugby league story.
Instead the 24-year-old from North Shields, a coastal town on the banks of the River Tyne just outside Newcastle, finds himself two divisions above having joined Salford Red Devils in Super League.
The Scotland international is still pinching himself at such an unexpected turn of events, brought about a pandemic that continues to wreak havoc across the globe.
Luckley agreed to join the newly-formed Aces last summer but Covid-19, and the complications of foreign travel, prompted the Eric Perez-led outfit to withdraw the club from this year’s competition.
Luckley, an imposing loose forward who made his name at Newcastle Thunder, subsequently agreed a one-year deal with Salford with an option for a second year.
“It’s been a blessing in disguise, really,” says Luckley, a boyhood Newcastle United fan who played rugby union in his teens before switching to league.
“I was at Thunder and then signed for Ottawa, but that didn’t happen because of the pandemic.
“I was looking forward to joining Ottawa. We played Toronto with Thunder a few years ago and it was probably the best couple of days of my life over there.
“It was amazing and that’s why I signed for Ottawa. Yes, I was really excited about the move there.
“But when we got told that Ottawa was being pushed back until 2022 because of the coronavirus, we were able to look for another club.
“A couple of clubs came in and I had a few Zoom calls but then I had a chat with Ian Blease at Salford.
“He spoke well about Salford; the culture at the club, the people they want to recruit and the players who are already there.
“It just really appealed to me and I’m very grateful for the opportunity to jump from League 1 to Super League – two leagues above.
“In my mind, I need to earn my spot and try and force them to give me that second year. I’ve been working my backside off in pre-season training so far.”
Luckley spent the best part of five years at Thunder, having played for his hometown club while studying at Northumbria University.
The step up to Super League will be huge, but it does not faze the amiable Geordie.
“I’ve loved it so far,” says Luckley, who is currently lodging with an old university pal in Halifax and commuting from there to Salford.
“It’s only 40 or 50 minutes from training, but I know my way around Fax from my one year in the Huddersfield Giants academy.
“I was 17 or 18 then but before then I played a couple of games at Hull KR and stayed down there for a couple of weeks.
“With Huddersfield, there was a north-east regional ACE Academy, Colleges and Education) programme and Andy Kelly was the head of it.
“He’s at the Giants now and when he got the job there they signed me on a one-year contract in the academy.
“I stayed with Andy for a few weeks, then the kitman, and then one of the boys for the rest of the year.
“I was living in Dewsbury, next to the Giants’ stadium, all over the shop really, and the academy team coach at the time was Chris Thorman.
“It didn’t really work out for me. Logistically, being from the north-east, it’s a lot tougher to house someone and I was still young.
“I was still inexperienced as a rugby league player and, having not got another contract, I came back up to Newcastle and then got signed by Thunder straight away and went to university.”
Luckley now finds himself in an elite full-time environment at Salford, working under new head coach Richard Marshall and world-class talent such as England centre Kallum Watkins.
“It blew my mind on my first day!” says Luckley.
“All these Super League players who you see on telly week in and week out and then to actually meet them was unreal.
“I’ve had a right laugh these past few weeks and it’s been great getting to know them all.
“They’re great blokes off the field as well, but as soon as they get on the training pitch it’s 100% intensity. I’m just trying to be a bit of a sponge and pick up as much information as possible.
“I’ve been doing some extra bits with Kris Inu, he’s been fantastic, and listening to the half-backs like Kevin Brown. I could go on and on, it’s a dream come true.
“I like playing at 13 because you can do a bit of everything.
“I enjoy the physicality of it all, the ball carrying, and from when I started that’s what appealed to me about rugby league.
“But now, in this day and age, forwards need to be able to catch, pass and run lines in order to adapt to the current game.”
Luckley admits playing in a full-time environment for the first time came as “a bit of a shock” to begin with.
“I’ve backed myself and my fitness wasn’t too bad,” he says.
“I consider myself quite fit so when we were doing the sessions, I wasn’t at the back!
“They just seem to be able to go forever with their running, so I’m just challenging myself to keep up with them. It’s about trying to wrestle my way into the pack.”
Playing under Marshall should help his game to develop, according to Luckley.
“When I first met Richard, I had a little chat with him about aspirations – what he wants for the club and what he expects from me,” he explains.
“He’s just a great bloke in general – very easy going and his door is always open so you can chat with him.
“He’s big on detail so if he’s explaining something in training then you better listen to what he’s saying.
“He’s got so much information and experience that he can pass on to someone like myself.”
Luckley has won four Scotland caps in matches against Wales, Ireland, Greece and Serbia.
“I’d love to play in the World Cup later this year and I think I’ve put a bit of a stamp down on my name in the past couple of games,” he says.
“Danny Addy, who is a mate of mine, is someone I know through the Scotland set-up. He’s a top player with great hands and someone else I can learn a lot from at Salford.
“He certainly wouldn’t have any problems with me asking for his advice or doing extras in training.”
Luckley may be a very late arrival into rugby league’s full-time ranks, but he is well qualified in academic terms.
He holds a degree in sports coaching and a masters in sport and exercise psychology.
“I’d also like to do my coaching badges at some point, but my main focus now is getting in the Salford team,” he says.
“As a Newcastle United fan, one of my dreams would be to play for Salford at St James’ Park in a Magic Weekend fixture. If I scored a try, I’d raise my arm like Alan Shearer celebrated his goals there!
“But these are uncertain times we’re living in and everything could get canned next week.
“I just need to work as hard as I can and making my Super League debut would be the realisation of a dream.
“There is no real pressure on me because I’ve come from League 1 and no-one is expecting the world from me.
“I just need to take it day by day, work as hard as possible and see how far I can go.”
Playing in a televised fixture live on Sky Sports is a scenario Luckley has played out in his mind.
“I think my mum and dad would be buzzing to see my on telly,” he says.
“My dad’s in the navy and would probably be on the ship watching with his mates on the telly. I’m looking forward to the challenge.
“I’m obviously a bit of a late starter to rugby league but, when I began playing it, I thought there wasn’t a better sport in the world. I love it.”
BY ROSS HEPPENSTALL
SAM LUCKLEY should have been gearing up for his first season at Ottawa Aces in League 1 right now, in what would have been the latest chapter in an unlikely rugby league story.
Instead the 24-year-old from North Shields, a coastal town on the banks of the River Tyne just outside Newcastle, finds himself two divisions above having joined Salford Red Devils in Super League.
The Scotland international is still pinching himself at such an unexpected turn of events, brought about a pandemic that continues to wreak havoc across the globe.
Luckley agreed to join the newly-formed Aces last summer but Covid-19, and the complications of foreign travel, prompted the Eric Perez-led outfit to withdraw the club from this year’s competition.
Luckley, an imposing loose forward who made his name at Newcastle Thunder, subsequently agreed a one-year deal with Salford with an option for a second year.
“It’s been a blessing in disguise, really,” says Luckley, a boyhood Newcastle United fan who played rugby union in his teens before switching to league.
“I was at Thunder and then signed for Ottawa, but that didn’t happen because of the pandemic.
“I was looking forward to joining Ottawa. We played Toronto with Thunder a few years ago and it was probably the best couple of days of my life over there.
“It was amazing and that’s why I signed for Ottawa. Yes, I was really excited about the move there.
“But when we got told that Ottawa was being pushed back until 2022 because of the coronavirus, we were able to look for another club.
“A couple of clubs came in and I had a few Zoom calls but then I had a chat with Ian Blease at Salford.
“He spoke well about Salford; the culture at the club, the people they want to recruit and the players who are already there.
“It just really appealed to me and I’m very grateful for the opportunity to jump from League 1 to Super League – two leagues above.
“In my mind, I need to earn my spot and try and force them to give me that second year. I’ve been working my backside off in pre-season training so far.”
Luckley spent the best part of five years at Thunder, having played for his hometown club while studying at Northumbria University.
The step up to Super League will be huge, but it does not faze the amiable Geordie.
“I’ve loved it so far,” says Luckley, who is currently lodging with an old university pal in Halifax and commuting from there to Salford.
“It’s only 40 or 50 minutes from training, but I know my way around Fax from my one year in the Huddersfield Giants academy.
“I was 17 or 18 then but before then I played a couple of games at Hull KR and stayed down there for a couple of weeks.
“With Huddersfield, there was a north-east regional ACE Academy, Colleges and Education) programme and Andy Kelly was the head of it.
“He’s at the Giants now and when he got the job there they signed me on a one-year contract in the academy.
“I stayed with Andy for a few weeks, then the kitman, and then one of the boys for the rest of the year.
“I was living in Dewsbury, next to the Giants’ stadium, all over the shop really, and the academy team coach at the time was Chris Thorman.
“It didn’t really work out for me. Logistically, being from the north-east, it’s a lot tougher to house someone and I was still young.
“I was still inexperienced as a rugby league player and, having not got another contract, I came back up to Newcastle and then got signed by Thunder straight away and went to university.”
Luckley now finds himself in an elite full-time environment at Salford, working under new head coach Richard Marshall and world-class talent such as England centre Kallum Watkins.
“It blew my mind on my first day!” says Luckley.
“All these Super League players who you see on telly week in and week out and then to actually meet them was unreal.
“I’ve had a right laugh these past few weeks and it’s been great getting to know them all.
“They’re great blokes off the field as well, but as soon as they get on the training pitch it’s 100% intensity. I’m just trying to be a bit of a sponge and pick up as much information as possible.
“I’ve been doing some extra bits with Kris Inu, he’s been fantastic, and listening to the half-backs like Kevin Brown. I could go on and on, it’s a dream come true.
“I like playing at 13 because you can do a bit of everything.
“I enjoy the physicality of it all, the ball carrying, and from when I started that’s what appealed to me about rugby league.
“But now, in this day and age, forwards need to be able to catch, pass and run lines in order to adapt to the current game.”
Luckley admits playing in a full-time environment for the first time came as “a bit of a shock” to begin with.
“I’ve backed myself and my fitness wasn’t too bad,” he says.
“I consider myself quite fit so when we were doing the sessions, I wasn’t at the back!
“They just seem to be able to go forever with their running, so I’m just challenging myself to keep up with them. It’s about trying to wrestle my way into the pack.”
Playing under Marshall should help his game to develop, according to Luckley.
“When I first met Richard, I had a little chat with him about aspirations – what he wants for the club and what he expects from me,” he explains.
“He’s just a great bloke in general – very easy going and his door is always open so you can chat with him.
“He’s big on detail so if he’s explaining something in training then you better listen to what he’s saying.
“He’s got so much information and experience that he can pass on to someone like myself.”
Luckley has won four Scotland caps in matches against Wales, Ireland, Greece and Serbia.
“I’d love to play in the World Cup later this year and I think I’ve put a bit of a stamp down on my name in the past couple of games,” he says.
“Danny Addy, who is a mate of mine, is someone I know through the Scotland set-up. He’s a top player with great hands and someone else I can learn a lot from at Salford.
“He certainly wouldn’t have any problems with me asking for his advice or doing extras in training.”
Luckley may be a very late arrival into rugby league’s full-time ranks, but he is well qualified in academic terms.
He holds a degree in sports coaching and a masters in sport and exercise psychology.
“I’d also like to do my coaching badges at some point, but my main focus now is getting in the Salford team,” he says.
“As a Newcastle United fan, one of my dreams would be to play for Salford at St James’ Park in a Magic Weekend fixture. If I scored a try, I’d raise my arm like Alan Shearer celebrated his goals there!
“But these are uncertain times we’re living in and everything could get canned next week.
“I just need to work as hard as I can and making my Super League debut would be the realisation of a dream.
“There is no real pressure on me because I’ve come from League 1 and no-one is expecting the world from me.
“I just need to take it day by day, work as hard as possible and see how far I can go.”
Playing in a televised fixture live on Sky Sports is a scenario Luckley has played out in his mind.
“I think my mum and dad would be buzzing to see my on telly,” he says.
“My dad’s in the navy and would probably be on the ship watching with his mates on the telly. I’m looking forward to the challenge.
“I’m obviously a bit of a late starter to rugby league but, when I began playing it, I thought there wasn’t a better sport in the world. I love it.”
