Beau Falloon’s resolve is tronger for tumult ahead of joinging Leeds Rhinos
The hooker has joined from Gold Coast Titans on a one-year deal having seen his blossoming career put on hold after being caught up in the drugs-trafficking scandal that stunned the NRL.
Falloon, 28, was one of five Titans players charged with cocaine offences in February and was duly stood down for the opening two games of the season.
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Hide AdHowever, he was cleared last month when the charges were thrown out of a Queensland court due to insufficient evidence and he was finally able to secure his move to Super League.
Falloon, who had been Titans player of the year in 2014, only managed a dozen games this term due to a series of injuries and was not offered a new deal.
But he joins treble-winning Leeds as a replacement for Catalans Dragons-bound Paul Aiton and conceded: “I definitely just want to get playing again.
“Everyone knows I didn’t have too good a year this time out.
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Hide Ad“There was a lot of headaches involved but finally that’s over with now and I can finally make footy my main focus again.
“I had a good season before (2014) and was lucky enough to pick up the player of the year for the Titans which was a big honour.
“So, hopefully, I can bring that form here to Leeds Rhinos and have a really good season.”
There is certainly no doubting Falloon’s talent and he should help offset the loss of Aiton who had been so instrumental for Leeds before suffering a season-ending injury at the start of August.
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Hide AdThe rake, who played alongside Sam Burgess at South Sydney before moving to Gold Coast in 2012, is looking forward to exploiting the greater freedom allowed in the British game.
Falloon also hopes to have the same impact in his debut campaign as fellow countryman Adam Cuthbertson.
The ball-handling prop arrived at Leeds from Newcastle Knights just 12 months ago but finished as a treble winner after the Rhinos won the Grand Final, League Leaders’ Shield and Challenge Cup in a memorable year.
Falloon added: “They’ve a great forward pack here, play a great brand of footy and a lot of them can offload and pass the ball.
“It’s going to be great playing behind such a great pack.
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Hide Ad“I’m quite a big fan of Super League. I watch quite a bit of it back home and then when I finally found out I was coming here I was getting up early in the mornings taping the games and watching them.
“The NRL is really structured, but I know Leeds play a bit more and it is really exciting.
“I spoke to a few of the boys back home who have played over here like Anthony Laffranchi, one of our trainers at Titans.
“He played at St Helens and said it’d be fantastic for me to get over here and give it a crack.”
Falloon, who could debut in the Boxing Day fixture against Wakefield Trinity Wildcats, has only signed for 12 months but said things “will take care” of themselves if he performs.