Kruise Leeming on why he joined Warrington Wolves

In the last few years, Kruise Leeming has become a key player at Leeds Rhinos since he joined from Huddersfield Giants in 2020.

He went on to win the Challenge Cup with the Rhinos in his first season and went on to captain the Rhinos to the Grand Final last season.

But what is often forgotten is he came through the Warrington Wolves academy.

But why did a player who grew up in Halifax choose to join the Wolves in Lancashire?

On Tom Talk, Leeming talked about his time with the Wolves:

“At 15 I signed at Warrington and there was a big thing, all the Halifax based players would sign for Huddersfield or Leeds, they’d sign for Yorkshire teams. For me to go over to Lancashire it was almost like they’d picked me to go over there, they’d normally scout their area.

“My mates in school would all have Leeds, Huddersfield or Bradford tracksuits on and I had a Warrington one on, it was a different feel for me to realise they could see something in me.

“I was one step closer to becoming a professional rugby league player, I was in the system. It wasn’t as if I was going home to my mum saying, ‘I want to be a rugby league player’, whilst not being able to get into Siddal’s team. I had an argument to make then, don’t get me wrong it was still an argument.”

He explained that for him, it was all about getting out of his comfort zone: “Getting out of my comfort zone, going to meet new people and not knowing anyone. I wanted to just be different, it was a big travel at 15-years-old as well going to Warrington three times a week.

“Every time I feel comfortable or that I’ve got the ingredients and know what it takes, then I want to move on then. I want to keep stretching.”