Alex Mellor joined Castleford Tigers earlier this week on a two and a half year deal from Leeds Rhinos.
At Headingley, Mellor had won the Challenge Cup, but had found chances limited in the past season due to injury and selection and so signed a deal with the Tigers.
And, now he has explained how it all came about.
“I had signed at Cas for next year, that was all sorted,” Mellor told BBC Radio Leeds
“As far as I was concerned, my contract was signed, that was all done and I was focused on Leeds until the end of the year, but then Cas came knocking at the door and said ‘do you want to come this year’?
“Radders (Lee Radford) messaged me and I spoke to my agent and I thought it was great to feel wanted – I felt this club wanted me for me.
“It was going to be a bit of a struggle for me at Leeds so I jumped at the opportunity of I can go there and help this club and they can help me as much as I can help them.”
Mellor also revealed that there were tough moments at Headingley when he realised he would have to approach the new Rhinos boss Rohan Smith and chief executive Gary Hetherington to move early.
“I sort of pushed it a little bit and I had to have a couple of awkward conversations with Rohan and with Gary,” Mellor continued.
“They obviously knew I was leaving for next year, but I said to them ‘I want to leave now, this club wants me, I am ready to go’.
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