MATT Prior admits he had to convince himself to return to life in lockdown at Leeds.
And had fiancée Rebecca said no, he would not have been back at all.
The Rhinos star has only just arrived for pre-season training, three weeks before the start of the season.
And given the way things have gone in the UK over Covid-19, there was a time when he wondered if he would leave his native Australia.
Rebecca and two-year-old daughter Indie are still there and will only come over when the lockdown eases and vaccines make more of a mark.
Prop Prior said: “I didn’t know if I wanted to put that strain on the family by coming back. I wasn’t sure if it was worth it if it wasn’t necessary.
“If she didn’t want to come, I definitely wouldn’t have come but we’re keen to give it another crack.
“Lockdowns were really wearing me down I had to spend 10 days indoors through track and trace, which wasn’t very enjoyable.
“In Australia, everything’s basically back to normal. Cafes, restaurants, bars, everything is open and there are no face masks or anything like that.
“Things are looking up now, so I’m glad to be back. I feel like I’ve made the right call but the family’s staying for another month until things get a little bit better.
“The infection rate’s a lot higher, my partner’s got asthma too, so I didn’t want to bring her over here and put her in danger.”
While back in Australia, Prior had some thinking to do – what to do if he gave up rugby league.
But the 33-year-old is almost as in the dark as anyone, adding: “I weighed up whether it’s easier to stay home and maybe get a normal job.
“Once I got back to Australia, we were back around our family and friends and had a lot more support than we do over here.
“But I didn’t have a contingency plan. I was tossing up retiring but I wasn’t sure what I’d do. I’ve only got one skill and that’s playing rugby!”
