Recently, Barrow Raiders forward Bradd Crellin made the decision to retire from professional rugby league.
Crellin’s career spanned over 13 years, having made his professional debut for Whitehaven back in 2010.
Eight of those seasons were spent at the Raiders, with Crellin making 92 appearances for the club in total.
The ever-dependable second-rower featured 14 times for the club in 2022, scoring once.
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However, Crellin has now made the decision to step away from the Raiders, and he leaves with the best wishes of everyone at the club.
In part one of our sit-down with Crellin, he discusses the reasons behind his retirement, bowing out on a high and offers a message to supporters who have cheered him on over recent years.
Part two will be released later this month.
Firstly Bradd, how difficult a decision was it to hang up your boots after eight fantastic seasons with the club?
I love rugby league. You ask anyone from family, friends, teammates, my own two sons, everyone knows I absolutely love the game.
I love the physicality, the brutality of it at times, the intensity, the mental toughness that goes with it and those hard nights at Craven park where it’s raining and blowing a gail.
I love everything to do with rugby league, and I’d love to be able to say I can play forever, but there comes a point in your career where you know that the time is going to come and you’ve got to finish.
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It is a very difficult decision and ideally I’d have loved to have gone on for another two years, but when your family needs you there more at certain times, you’ve got to make that decision.
My decision to finish playing is based on family commitments, including not being able to see my sons play on a Sunday when I’m playing for Barrow.
Although they love watching me, they also want me to be there watching them, and so now it’s time to finish my career to help guide them on their own journey.
It was quite the farewell season too, reaching the players and winning Betfred Championship Club of the Year – how nice a feeling has it been to be part of the Raiders squad in 2022?
This year has been special, and you couldn’t have really asked for a better season to finish on really.
Getting promoted from League 1 and going into the Championship, everyone thought we’d be somewhere near the bottom or no higher than mid-table really, but we surprised a lot of people and clubs.
To finish fourth and to have a good run to the play-offs, when you look back at the season it’s been a special one.
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The new lads that came in just clicked and bought into everything. It felt like everyone had each other’s backs this year, everyone looked out for each other and got on.
It’s just a special feeling this year, and I couldn’t have asked for a better way to say goodbye.
You’ve received tremendous support from the Raiders fans, year in, year out. What would your final message be to those fans who have cheered you on so passionately during your time at the club?
To start, a massive thank you for the support you’ve given me for the last eight years – it’s been outstanding. Not just from me, but for the lads in the squad as well.
You see them give up their time and maybe take days off work as well to come and support us when we’re playing over in Yorkshire or down in London; even abroad when we’ve been to Canada or France.
The support they’ve given us and myself personally over the last eight years has been outstanding and it really is appreciated.
I’m looking forward to standing on that side of the wall with them next season and giving my support to the 2023 squad.
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