Tim Lafai explains why he joined Salford Red Devils, why he’s staying in 2023 and what the future holds

The signing of Tim Lafai is one of the best pieces of business Super League has seen in 2022, and depending on the longevity of his quality at Salford he could go on to be one of the best signings in Super League history. 

Lafai has been a terrific attacking weapon for the Red Devils in 2022 even devastating the Champions St Helens recently and rightly earning his place in the 2022 Super League Dream Team becoming the 202nd player to be named in the Dream Team and was joined by his Salford teammates Ken Sio and Brodie Croft.

It was a big decision to come to Salford for Lafai but at the Super League Dream Team reveal, Lafai noted that it was about taking an opportunity to enjoy his rugby again: “Coming over here it was about taking an opportunity to play rugby and enjoy my rugby again, it’s a bonus that we’re playing so well.”

Lafai signed an initial one-year deal at the AJ Bell Stadium but has since been secured for 2023. This is due to the fact that both he and the club had an option to extend the deal to two years and the club very quickly made the move to tie him down for 2023.

“It was an option for both the club and the player,” Lafai said when asked about why he’d be staying in 2023, “and the club locked me in for next year and I’m glad. I’m really enjoying playing rugby here and my family’s loving it too.”

It seems Lafai is open to staying beyond 2023 as well saying: “Yeah I’m definitely interested in staying here long term myself and my family, we’ve made a home here and the club has been great for us. I’d love to stay here long term.”

Lafai is now hoping to create an indelible legacy at Salford by helping the Red Devils to a first ever Super League title as they again write a fairytale akin to 2019.

In their way stands Champions St Helens who beat them back in 2019. Lafai has already shown what he can do up against the Champions with one of the best individual displays of the season which devastated them at the AJ Bell.

If Salford do win, they’ll meet fifth place Leeds in the final penning their own fairytale. It will be a chance for revenge for the Red Devils after a Challenge Cup Final defeat to Leeds in 2020.