CRAIG Hall is a man used to dealing with intense situations – and big expectations – in Super League.
But nothing prepared him for the birth of his beautiful daughter Layla May – and the emotional roller-coaster of becoming a dad.
A complicated birth left Craig at one stage fearing for both mother and baby.
And now, the huge responsibility of becoming a father has also hit home.
"I'm sure becoming a dad will change me as I have to think about Layla now," Craig told the Mail.
"Having Layla has made me realise how much my career matters. My family comes first."
Craig and his fianceé Kayleigh had been carefully planning their daughter's arrival.
The nursery was decorated well in advance, clothes and cot bought, all ready for what they thought would be a perfect arrival – on Kayleigh's birthday – October 17.
A caesarean birth had been planned, as Layla had been facing the wrong way. However, a scan on that day showed she had moved into the right position, and Craig and Kayleigh were sent home.
It wasn't until 5pm on November 6 that Kayleigh went into labour, and Layla's entry into the world was far from straight forward.
Medical staff grew concerned for the baby and feared she may be being starved of oxygen during the birth, something which could have caused damage to the brain.
They made the decision to perform a caesarean to deliver Layla quickly, and effectively saved her life.
"Layla wasn't getting much oxygen.It was a very scary moment," recalled Craig.
"After an experience like that, it certainly puts everything else in life into perspective.
"I had mixed feelings after the birth because I was happy she was born, but worried because Kayleigh was heavily sedated.
"Unfortunately, fathers aren't allowed to stay over in the maternity ward and I had to go home at 2am when Kayleigh was on the recovery ward.
"Thankfully everything was okay after that, and both Kayleigh and Layla are fine now and doing well."
Allowed home three days after the birth, Craig and Kayleigh have now settled into life as parents.
But they give slightly conflicting reviews as to how the 24-year-old Rovers star is coping with fatherhood.
Craig claims he's a 'dab hand at nappies' but Kayleigh identifies it as a weak point, adding 'he's not very good at the night shift either'. He is though, she admits, 'great at the easy jobs' such as sterilising bottles.
"Being a dad is great," Craig adds.
"The first few weeks were tough as it took a bit of time to get used to having another person in the house to look after.
"Kayleigh and I were set in our ways but now we have a little baby girl to care for.
"Our sleep patterns are very different now as we feed Layla during the night. Well, I say we, but Kayleigh does it during the week when I have training and I do it at the weekend.
"Layla is sleeping pretty well with about three or four hours sleep between feeds. She needs feeding about three times a night.
"I'm all about sterilising bottles."
Since Layla's birth, Craig and Kayleigh have been inundated with good luck messages.
Craig, who moved from Hull FC to the Robins two years ago, has been overwhelmed by the level of support his family has received from both sides of the city.
Even their dog Marlow, who has a growing celebrity status thanks to his own Twitter account, has received congratulation messages.
"Kayleigh and I can't believe how many people have wished us well," Craig said.
"Within no time we had 200 tweets on Twitter. We also had a lot of nice messages on Facebook.
"We want to thank everyone who sent us a message.
"We have received messages from Rovers and Hull fans and from further afield like Warrington too.
"Cards are still coming in and people want to come round and see Layla.
"It's been a very special time for all of us."
"We also want to thank the people who brought Layla into the world," added Kayleigh.
"Cathy, who was the midwife, and the anaesthetist were brilliant. It wasn't an easy time, especially when they said there might be some damage to the brain because of a lack of oxygen.
"But they tested the chord and the placenta carried on working.
"They said they couldn't have waited much longer and within eight minutes Layla was born."
Weighing in at 8lb 5oz when she arrived, Layla is now 9lb 13oz, and a picture of health.
"Everything seems to be fine with Layla now," said Kayleigh.
"She has transformed our lives in the best way possible."
Craig added: "We couldn't be happier.
"It's very hard work, but all worth it.
"She has changed out lives as our house is now a home."
