Union novice Kevin Sinfield ‘happy to be learning’

Kevin Sinfield has won everything there is to win in Rugby League but he has set himself one last rugby challenge – taking Yorkshire Carnegie back to the Premiership.
The Leeds legend ended his 18-year League career last October after leading the Rhinos to a seventh Super League title two months after lifting back-to-back Challenge Cups at Wembley.
That all helped the 34-year-old fly-half receive a ton of votes to finish third in the BBC Sports Personality of the Year awards.
“I came across for the challenge and it’s exciting so far,” Sinfield told The Rugby Paper. “I feel like I’m improving at every training session and every game and that’s the biggest thing with a move like mine.
“I’m not going to tell you what my personal goals are but I’d love to play in the Premiership with Yorkshire Carnegie.
“We realise how tough the Championship is and I found that myself but I’d love to see the club in the top English league.
“I’m at a stage at my career where I probably have a couple of years left and I would have kicked myself for not giving Rugby Union a go.
“It’s my last big challenge as a rugby player and I owe Rugby League everything for putting me in that position.
“I had some interest from Union clubs in the past but it was irrelevant because I was always happy at the Rhinos.
“The only club I ever considered joining once I decided to make the switch was Yorkshire Carnegie. Everything felt right and I get to stay in Leeds with my family.”
Having played 521 matches for the Rhinos and lifting 12 majors trophies, Sinfield has heaps of experience but when it comes to Union his six appearances make him a novice and he is more than happy to take on as much advice as he can.
He said: “The more game time I get the more understanding of the game I get and the better I’ll be. The main thing for me is to enjoy it and the lads have been great since I joined.
“I’m just trying to build my minutes and Bryan Redpath and the coaches have put faith in me with starts.
“It’s been really nice playing alongside the senior players in the squad like Chris Jones, Dean Schofield, Ryan Burrows and Chris Pilgrim. They’ve been fantastic with me.
“I’ve got to give a special mention to the other two fly-halves in the squad, Harry Leonard and Joel Hodgson who spend a lot of time with me.
“I don’t want to be treated differently to anybody else because of what I’ve done in Rugby League.
“The truth is that I’m a complete novice in Rugby Union and I’m tapping into every bit of knowledge I can. Joel and Harry might be younger than me but they have a lot more experience in the game.”
The switch has been more than enjoyable so far for Sinfield but he admits there are still some aspects of the game he needs to get his head around.
He added: “There’s a spring in my step every morning when I go to training just like when I was playing Rugby League.
“I thought it was going to be challenging going into a new dressing room but the support I’ve had from the other guys has been unbelievable.
“I’ve passed and kicked a ball and tackled guys since I was seven but every day I’m learning about the game.
“The fundamentals of the game are very similar but it’s all about learning the different techniques in Union.
“I’ve got to admit that some aspects of the game have been very frustrating but I’m also getting a lot of joy from some of them.
“I’m used to the ball being in play a lot more in League and that’s the frustrating thing with Union so far. The ball is live a lot longer in League.
“But it’s not fair for me or anybody else to compare the two games and criticise Union because they are two very different sports. It’s a great opportunity to be able to play both professionally.”
NICK VERDIER