James Donaldson admits he will never be able to repay Leeds Rhinos for taking a chance on him when nobody else would: and says he wants to spend the rest of his career at Headingley. The 31-year-old will walk out in his first Super League Grand Final this weekend if selected to feature against Wigan Warriors.
Donaldson's journey to this point has been remarkable. A player who suffered two serious ACL knee injuries before the age of 20 and a broken back later in his career, Donaldson as readying himself to go part-time in 2019 after failing to secure a Super League contract. However, in the final stages of pre-season, Leeds offered him a trial which has now turned into a four-season stint at the club.
And an emotional Donaldson told Rugby League he is indebted to the Rhinos for giving him an opportunity to keep his professional career alive. "Leeds gave me a lifeline when nobody else would, and I will always be trying to pay them back for the trust they showed in me," he said. "I don't think I ever can.
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"Leeds is my home. I moved away from Cumbria when I was 15 and I've lived here for just as long now. Never in a million years did I think this would be my club, but it is my club."
Donaldson also declared that his hope now is to spend the rest of his playing career with Leeds. He said: "I love it, I love the people, I love the fans and it's the only place I want to be for the rest of my career now. It means the wold to me to be a Leeds Rhinos player. I never thought I'd play here, but I've studied at the University, lived in a city which is unreal and I feel very honoured to play for this club. That feeling will never fade."
Having featured in two Challenge Cup finals - one in defeat for Hull KR and one for Leeds inside an empty Wembley Stadium in 2020 - Donaldson now has the chance to realise a childhood dream and play in the biggest game of the Super League season at Old Trafford.
The moment will be made extra-special for Donaldson given how it is the first final he has played in since his 18-month-old son, Tobias, was born.
"He's like a bull in a China shop and I don't think it'll be long until he plays for Leeds," Donaldson laughed. "It's really emotional thinking he could be there with my wife. I went to the Grand Final probably five times as a kid as a Wigan fan, and I was once watching one of the games and I believed I could play here. And this week, it is me. It's my opportunity.
"To do it after everything.. the ACL injuries, snapping the opposite knee two games after coming back from the first one, breaking my back, being out of work for months on end. I always believed I could offer something to someone, even when nobody was offering anything. But that trial at Leeds changed my life for the better.
"Saturday will be a dream come true."
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