Derrell Olpherts has been well loved wherever he has played in Super League.
He scored tries for fun at Salford Red Devils when he burst into the team in 2018 after making his name in Betfred League One.
Then he moved to Castleford Tigers in 2020 and has been their first-choice winger ever since, scoring four tries in one game against Hull FC this year having helped the Tigers to Wembley in 2021.
But in 2023, he will be moving on to pastures new as he makes the move to Leeds Rhinos – The Tigers near neighbours and arch-rivals.
It’s a switch that surprised many, with Lee Radford powerless to losing the speedster who had become a regular at the Jungle as well as a fan’s favourite.
Speaking exclusively to Serious About Rugby League, the winger explained what tempted him to across West Yorkshire to the Headingley Club.
“My agent just rung me up one day and said Leeds are interested in you, they want to have a meeting – it came out of the blue really.
“I met with Rohan Smith when he was Bradford coach the year I signed at Salford, they were interested in me back then so I knew he liked me as a player.
“Because I’d already met him before I knew what he was like and I followed his career in Australia because one of mates played for his team, Norths Devils.
“So when my agent said that I was pretty excited, it’s Leeds Rhinos at the end of the day, I wanted to see what he had to say, it’s a huge club, one of the biggest in the world.”
The resulting meeting saw Olpherts sign for the Rhinos, with the 31-year-old providing head coach Smith with utility value in the backs for the coming season.
It’s a much-needed addition for the Australian boss who is lacking depth along the backline, particularly at centre, following the departure of Liam Sutcliffe to Hull FC.
“We had the meeting and what he was saying is stuff I’ve had in my head all a long about wanting to get better and then the deal just got made after that,” added Olpherts.
“I couldn’t be happier to be honest. You always want to feel like you are progressing in your career and I do feel it’s a step up to a club that have serious credentials.
“My aim, like Leeds as a club, is to win trophies and I think the Rhinos are a team who would class any season without silverware as a disappointment – that’s the kind of club I want to be at.”
It’s unknown yet what position Olpherts will take up in the Leeds side with competition for places expected to be competitive in the outside back next season at Headingley.
Olpherts himself admitted that he was also not too sure about this: “I’ll be honest, I haven’t been training yet so I don’t know what the tactical insight is myself,” Olpherts noted.
“Obviously, most backs can play anywhere in the backfield so I’m happy to play wing, to play centre if the opportunity came around and I’m looking to develop my game in other places yeah.”
He said: “I don’t know, I was just happy to play anywhere. I wouldn’t have questioned it, I just wanted to be in the team and any player in a team that’s what they’re thinking.
“I ended up playing well and I took to it well and the stuff I was doing out of backfield was where the game was headed so that’s where I ended up playing and developing my game and ended up being a consistently starting winger for Salford and Castleford. That’s how that came about.”
Olpherts is a player that has had plenty of adversity in his career so far, with the most notable challenge coming when he was left out of the Salford team to face St Helens in the 2019 Super League Grand Final.
Speaking about Ian Watson’s decision to snub him that day, Olpherts said: “My form wasn’t right at the time probably, there were a few things, I wasn’t playing at my best at the time but there were also quite a lot of experienced outside backs in that squad but it happens in sport.
“I’m not going to beat myself up about it, I’m my own worst critic, I’ve reviewed it myself that’s always been my approach.”
However, it was still a big experience for Olpherts: “It was surreal being a part of that even if I didn’t get to play in the game but it was good to be a part of it especially with a team like Salford who are a team you would say aren’t really supposed to get to a Grand Final especially with it being my second year.”
Olpherts has played in a major final since as he helped Castleford to Wembley in 2021 but he would certainly love a crack at Old Trafford, something he will be hoping to achieve during his time at Leeds.
“The setbacks make you stronger and I have belief that I’ll get that opportunity again to play in a Grand Final and if I could do that with Leeds and obviously win it, that would be a dream come true.”
