After showcasing his newly acquired maturity to secure a contract with the Castleford Tigers, Elliot Wallis is determined to seize his second opportunity in Super League.
When the 22-year-old left both his loan team, Bradford Bulls, and parent club, Hull KR, on the same day in April 2021, it seemed as though his time in the game was over.
Wallis played for the Midlands Hurricanes for a brief period of time before quitting the game altogether.
Wallis has returned with a deeper understanding of what the sport has to offer him, having given boxing his whole attention and volunteering at a food bank in addition to completing an apprenticeship in leadership and management.
The outside back, who will be in Lee Radford’s starting lineup in 2023, is trying to persuade the organisation to exercise his contract’s second-season option.
“I believed my time in rugby league was over,” Wallis remarked.
“After a protracted hiatus, I understood how much I had been missing it. I moved away, got a regular job, and matured a little.
“I wasn’t really sure which way I wanted to go and felt that I had given it too much effort and time to give up.
“As I become older, I’m incredibly excited about making a breakthrough. In order to secure another agreement, I wish to snoop about the first team.”
Playing for Castleford’s reserves the previous season, Wallis gained attention after asking his old City of Hull Academy coach—who is currently a coach with the Tigers—for a favour.
“One day, I sent Danny Wilson a text message telling him that I thought I’d changed and wanted another crack,” Wallis said.
“They gave me permission to try out for the reserve grade. It felt right from the start.
“There was a bit of rust in terms of the speed of the game but I felt comfortable and ready to come back.”
After being given the number 26 shirt, Wallis will face off against players like Greg Eden and Bureta Faraimo for a starting position this season.
Though Bradford dismissed him a few weeks into his season-long loan, he has since learned from the blunders that ended his stint at Hull KR.
“It shouldn’t really be too soon, but I think it was for me,” Wallis, who made his Super League debut for the Robins at the age of 18, stated.
As a young person, I had some trouble listening to and absorbing knowledge from older individuals. I was not an excellent student.
It has a challenging learning curve. I think I was a little sour about it at the time.
“I wasn’t prepared to make that push when I moved to Bradford on loan after that. I lacked patience and wasn’t receiving the desired amount of game time.
“I think I understand that now. My time apart has helped me comprehend that I must put everything on the line.”
Leave a Reply