Jesse Sene-Lefao on Salford deal that never was and Featherstone move
Photo courtesy of Featherstone Rovers
Featherstone’s new signing Jesse Sene-Lefao has revealed he came close to joining Super League side Salford before Rovers came in for him.
The 32-year-old forward left Castleford at the end of last season upon the expiry of his contract. He made 100 appearances for the Tigers across five seasons.
Sene-Lefao, a former Samoa international, has joined Featherstone ahead of the 2022 season – but he initially thought he was going to Salford.
“I’ll tell you the truth, it was a done deal with Salford,” Sene-Lefao told Love Rugby League.
“I was just waiting for a contract to come and they kept saying ‘it’s coming’ and literally it took about two months. I was already in the mindset of going to Salford when Featherstone were going through that stage.
“They (Salford) just stopped talking to me and I was talking with Hull FC but it was just talk, nothing was sent over. Then I got a call from Fev and it literally happened in a week. I had one meeting and it was done.”
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“It was a pretty easy decision to come here”
Sene-Lefao has fallen in love with the history of the Rovers; and says it was an easy decision to join the Championship club.
On how his move to Featherstone came about, he said: “It was all about my family, that was my main focus.
“How can I still provide for my family? Is this the right choice for my family? And when I came to Fev, they ticked all those boxes.
“It was a pretty easy decision to come here. For my family, it was saving travelling an hour to Salford so that was two extra hours in the car.
“Fev is right on my doorstep and a lot of it came down to what my family needed, how I could provide for them and where I would best be suited. Once I ticked those boxes it didn’t matter where I went.”
Featherstone start their 2022 Championship campaign on Monday night. They travel to York in front of the Premier Sports cameras.
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