Recruitment for 2024 has been underway for some time with Wigan Warriors and St Helens making splashes with Luke Thompson and Daryl Clarke’s signatures, but now Leeds Rhinos have doubled up and signed both Andy Ackers and Brodie Croft from Salford Red Devils.
It’s a double move that sees the Rhinos spine transformed from what it was at the start and end of 2023, with senior players Kruise Leeming, Aiden Sezer and Blake Austin all leaving at some point during or at the end of the 2023 campaign.
With Ackers and Croft they now have their starting six and nine, whilst earlier signings from the NRL such as Matt Frawley and Lachlan Miller will likely comprise their full-back and other halves role to give them a completely revamped spine.
Leeds’ pursuit of Croft has been a hot topic for the last month but it’s now been revealed that Ackers actually forced the move to Leeds for himself, despite being asked to stay.
That’s confirmed through a letter that Salford sent out to their owners, the club having become community owned earlier in the year when they sold shares to fans.
A letter to those fans came fifteen minutes before Leeds’ confirmation of the signings and has been shared on social media platform X, formerly Twitter.
A screenshot of the letter reads as follows:
“Where we can, we will always share information with you; the good, the bad and the ugly. Hence why we shared the recent board update with you.
“Ahead of their imminent announcement, we want to let you know that the Club has agreed to sell Brodie Croft and Andy Ackers to Leeds Rhinos.
“Whilst Brodie had a well-documented NRL release clause, we were not planning on seeing him depart this winter.
“However, the Club will now receive a club-record fee for Brodie, easing some of the financial pressures we have previously communicated.
“Andy was asked to stay; however, he has expressed his desire to make the move to Leeds. We thank them for their efforts and sincerely wish them both the very best of luck in the future.”
The final paragraph explains that Ackers ‘expressed his desire to make the move’, whilst the Rhinos statement shares Ackers’ initial words as a Rhino in which he commends the huge pull and draw of the club.
Ackers stated: “I am pleased to be joining the Rhinos. I have had three great years at Salford and will always be grateful for my time there.
“It is an exciting time at the Rhinos. I have had a good chat with Harry Newman and I’ve known Jarrod O’Connor for a number of years. I am looking forward to working with Jarrod and Corey Johnson along with all the other great young lads here.
“The club have shown their ambition with the squad for next season and I will be looking to play my part.”