LOVED UP

Reality TV show gave me Brand new lease on life

- DAVE CRAVEN

KEANAN BRAND admits that venturing on to Love Island set his rugby league career back but made him a better person and player.

The Leigh winger, 25, briefly ditched life at the Leopards in February last year to take part in the reality TV show.

He only spent three weeks in South Africa and appeared in just a handful of episodes.

But it has taken 18 months for Brand to finally appear for Leigh back in Super League.

Initially behind the likes of Josh Charnley and Tom Briscoe and more recently Darnell McIntosh and Umyla Hanley, he had to bide his time.