RUGBY LEAGUE: The Warwick Cowboys will go into this season’s Toowoomba Rugby League competition without reigning player of the year Justin Croft.

Last season, Croft won the Cowboys Player of the Year, the Peter Small Memorial Trophy for A-grade best and fairest and was joint winner in the TRL Player of the Year.

He enjoyed his season with the Cowboys but his “no footy” decision is all about work.

“I started my own business Precision Plumbing and Gas Works a week ago and can’t afford an injury,” he said.

“It was tempting to play after the player of the year wins but work comes first.

“I want to concentrate on work and not worry about footy.

“Footy is not an income. You shouldn’t get paid to play as you play for fun in the TRL.”

Croft started his rugby league career at Inglewood as a junior and won a Daily News/Warwick Credit Union Junior Sports Star of the Month award when he played for the Queensland primary school side.

After leaving school, he did an apprenticeship as a plumber in Toowoomba, graduated and continued working in the trade before he set up his own business.

Croft was hooker when Brothers won the TRL A-grade premiership in 2012 and was Warwick hooker last season.

He said playing in 2015 for Warwick was fantastic.

“The Cowboys are a great club, Warwick is a great community and the players are a top bunch of guys,” he said.

“We had the team to make the grand final last season, sometimes it happens when at other times it doesn’t.”

He is keen to play for the Cowboys again but it won’t be this season.

“I will probably return to the field one day,” he said.

“It has been a childhood dream to have my own business.”

The Cowboys host Gatton at Father Ranger Oval in TRL round 1 on Saturday with the first of four games at 2.10pm and the fourth game, A grade, at 6.30pm.

There is a round-robin for women’s leaguetag at Tenterfield on Saturday with Wattles playing Border in an boys under-18 game at 2pm