Hunslet veteran Dom Brambani hangs up his boots: Half-back had spells with Castleford Tigers, Halifax, Sheffield Eagles, Dewsbury Rams and Batley Bulldogs

One of the stalwarts of the lower divisions, Brambani also had spells with Halifax, twice at Sheffield Eagles, where he was a Championship Grand Final winner, Dewsbury Rams and Batley Bulldogs before joining Hunslet in 2019.

The Parksiders’ Betfred League One play-off defeat at Doncaster last month was the 36-year-old’s final game.

“It was disappointing,” Brambani admitted.

“I’d have loved to have gone out on a high by helping Hunslet secure promotion, but it wasn’t to be.

“My time at the South Leeds Stadium was affected by the coronavirus lockdowns and then by my self-isolation and I’d have liked to have done so much more, including achieving Championship status.”

Explaining the decision to hang up his boots, Brambani said: the last few matches have gone well for me personally, but I’d already made my mind up.

“My body’s been calling me for a while now and I can’t really carry on at this level.

“It takes me until Thursday, after games, to recover and get back to normal!

“In all honesty it’s time to call it a day. I’m 36 years old now, I’ve played nearly 400 games and that’s had its effect – no one can beat Father Time.”

Hunslet had a difficult 2021 campaign, with coach Gary Thornton being sacked midway through the year and replaced by Alan Kilshaw.

Brambani insisted: “My decision predated Gary Thornton’s sacking – although that didn’t exactly help – and then I got Covid which ruled me out for a while this year and which knocked me for six.

“Alan Kilshaw, to be fair to him, has been great.

“He kept in close contact with me throughout my self-isolation and helped me through a difficult period, but it’s time for me to close the curtain on professional rugby league.

“I worried about doing another pre-season of training three nights a week, with the real possibility - bearing in mind I’ve increasingly been picking up niggles after games - that after signing a contract I might well have subsequently been sidelined from matches.

“That certainly wouldn’t have been fair on Hunslet.”

Support the YEP and become a subscriber today. Enjoy unlimited access to local news and the latest on Leeds United, With a digital subscription, you see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Click here to subscribe.