Exclusive: Ex-Leeds Rhinos star has been “begging” to come back to Leeds

As Gary Hetherington was looking to develop Leeds Rhinos into a title winning side, he turned to a State of Origin backrow in Matt Adamson and beat off the Penrith Panthers when he signed him as Adamson revealed when speaking to Serious About Rugby League.

“It was quite interesting I had agreed to terms verbally with Penrith to take on my 10^th year,” Adamson said of his move to Leeds.

“After 10 years of NRL with one club is a big deal, you get a lifetime membership so I was pretty excited but also a bit disappointed because that year we came last and I couldn’t see a forward future for the club and I felt we needed a clear out.

“The day I agreed to those terms verbally, I didn’t sign anything, Gary rang out of the blue. I don’t remember how he got my number and he said ‘I want you to come to Leeds.’

“I’d played Origin that year and he told me a bit about the club. I remember watching the St Helens, Wigans, and Widnes but I wasn’t in tune with who Leeds were, I didn’t know much about them except that my former test teammates Bradley Clyde and Brett Mullins had been there the year before.

“What I loved about Gary was, he said ‘If you want to come to Leeds, here’s your contract. If you don’t, that’s okay I’ll find someone else. I liked that approach because what I think that meant was ‘we believe in our club and our future and we want you to be part of it.’

“I sat down with my wife and I asked her what do you want to do. It’s something I wanted to do all my life. My dream was to win a Challenge Cup, I still have at that dream now to do it in some capacity as a coach or whatever it may be.

“It’s still in my heart to be part of a winning Challenge Cup team.”

That dream has had Adamson “begging” to come back to the Rhinos but every time it comes close things fall through.

He said: “I’ve been begging Gary for 20 years to come back but every time the opportunity comes up, things fall over at the last minute. But who knows.

“I still talk to Gary pretty regularly and Rob Oates. I still speak to Sinny and with what’s going on with Rob Burrow and Danny McGuire.”