RFL and Brisbane
Moving to England, Backo played for Leeds in the 1988–89 Rugby Football League season. Backo's final two seasons of top-level football, 1989 and 1990, were spent in Queensland, with the Brisbane Broncos. Backo also participated in the 1989 tour of New Zealand. Backo played in a further four games for the Maroons - games II and III of the 1989 series and games II and III of the 1990 series despite his knee problems, which limited his participation with his club to only five appearances during 1990 and eventually forced his retirement at the end of the season. Although selected for the 1990 Australia team to play France, he was forced to withdraw because of his ongoing knee injury. In total, Backo played in six Tests and scored three tries.
In 1991, Backo made a short-lived return to football to play for Logan Scorpions in the Brisbane competition.
Read more about this topic: Sam Backo