ROAR Official Magazine of Castleford Tigers

OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF CASTLEFORD TIGERS

ISSUE 01 • JANUARY 2021

INSIDE

TIGERS’ YOUNG TRIO READY TO TAKE ON 2021 WOMEN’S RUGBY LEAGUE LEGEND GARNER RETIRES

EVALDS READY FOR ACTION!

CLARE CHATS NEW CONTRACT

STICK-ING

AROUND

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE: MICK MORGAN + CHRISTMAS CAMP REVIEW + LIAM WATTS + FOUNDATION NEWS

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January 2021 www.castlefordtigers.com

CONTACTS The Mend-A-Hose Jungle: 01977 552674 Tigers Den Club Shop: 01977 552499 Ticket Office: 01977 529264 Email: info@castigers.com castlefordtigers.com facebook.com/castlefordtigers twitter.com/ctrlfc

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STAFF Director of Rugby: Jon Wells Head Coach: Daryl Powell Assistant Coach: Danny Orr & Ryan Sheridan Head of Strength & Conditioning: Jamie Bell Head Physio: Matt Crowther Head of Youth: Darren Higgins Captain: Michael Shenton BOARD OF DIRECTORS Chairman: Ian Fulton Club President: Brian Ashworth Managing Director: Mark Grattan Directors: Richard Wright Steve Vause Dion Lowe

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18 T H I S

I S S U E

John Duff ADMINISTRATION

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Clare Sticks with Cas in 2021 feature interview

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Bulletin Board

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Tigers Sign Off 2020 with Christmas Camp

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Youth Squads Back to Covid Complaint Training to Round Out 2020

General Manager: Richard Pell Head of Commercial Operations: Chris Powell Commercial Manager: Craig Jeffels Accounts Manager: Pam Johnson Media & Marketing Manager: Matt Holden Ticketing Manager: Mark Gill Daily Draw Manager: Pauline Rhodes

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HONOURS

28 Women’s Rugby League Legend Claire Garner Retires

Challenge Cup: 1934-35, 1968-69, 1969-70, 1985-86 John Player Trophy: 1976-77 Regal Trophy: 1993-94 BBC2 Floodlit Trophy: 1965-66,

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1966-67, 1967-68, 1976-77

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Yorkshire League Champions: 1932-33, 1938-39, 1964-6 Yorkshire Cup: 1977-78, 1981-82, 1986-87, 1990-91, 1991-92 Winners: 2005, 2007

2017 League Leaders’ Shield

42 New Year, New Challenge for Niall Evalds feature interview

MATCH PROGRAMME Editors: Sam Armstrong & Tom Maguire Photos: SWPix, Melanie Rugby Pictures Ignition Sports Media Ltd

32 Watts Focused on Strong Year with Cas feature interview

38 Three Young Tigers Sign Extensions

National League 1 Champions: 2007

Magazine designed by

Mick Morgan

36 2021 Season Ticket Update

National League 1 Grand Final

Allatt Photography & OMH

24 Foundation News

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46 Tiger Talk Newsletter 48 Player Sponsors 52 Club Partners www.castlefordtigers.com January 2021

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main feature

Clare

sticks with Cas in 2021 CASTLEFORD TIGERS ARE PLEASED TO CONFIRM THAT JAMES CLARE HAS SIGNED A TWO-YEAR EXTENSION THROUGH TILL THE 2022 SEASON! Ed – The Club’s initial reporting of this story referenced James Clare’s extension as a one-year extension to the end of the 2021 season. However, we wish to clarify that this was actually a two-year extension until the end of 2022. We apologise for any confusion caused.

Next season will be the Fords’ fleetfooted winger’s eighth season with the Tigers, and speaking about the news to ROAR, the decision to remain at his hometown club where he made his debut in 2012 was quite straightforward: “Growing up as a Castleford lad, to sign on for two more years, under the coaching staff we’ve got here with Daryl Powell and Ryan Sheridan, it’s just going to get the best out of me. I’ve a young family now, with my wife Kimberley and my little boy Arthur, so to have that kind of stability, it lets you just focus on your rugby, you know where you’re going to be for a couple of years,

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so long, he’s only seen more drive to succeed from his Head Coach!

“For me this year, it was quite an easy decision to re-sign, I didn’t want to look elsewhere or test the market. I love playing for the Castleford Tigers, so I’m happy to get a deal with them over the line as quickly as possible! I know Daryl wanted to keep me as well, so it was a very smooth, simple process getting everything sorted.”

“Sometimes coaches and bosses can get a little bit complacent, you get to know each other a little bit better, and the standards slip etc. and you can just plateau.

But somebody like Powelly, he’s never slowed down for me, he’s just got faster and faster...well I mean his legs have got a little bit slower as he’s got older and older! But in terms of his rugby brain and what he expects of you is little improvements as a player and as a person away from the field. He’s someone that is on you 24/7!

As already mentioned, the opportunity to work with Daryl Powell for a sixth season going into next year was a strong lure for Clare to resign but he insisted that after working together for

“It’s difficult, because every team no matter who you are, has a vision to get to a Grand Final. But I can just feel a change here, it’s not necessarily something we’ve seen in such a short space of

and hopefully you get the best performances on the field as well.

January 2021 www.castlefordtigers.com

main feature

“For me this year, it was quite an easy decision to re-sign, I didn’t want to look elsewhere or test the market.

I love playing for the Castleford Tigers, so I’m happy to get a deal with them over the line as quickly as possible!” www.castlefordtigers.com January 2021

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feature interview

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January 2021 www.castlefordtigers.com

main feature

“You have to have a special bond and to have true professionals like Adam Milner who has his testimonial year, and Shenny who’s just come off the back of one, they’re two professionals who will get the best out of you”

time, but Powelly’s energy this year in 2021 so far, I can already feel it and it’s rubbing off on the lads already. It’s one of those things where I think the drive will come from the top and Powelly wants to get the best out of this team.

There are few players who may be retiring in coming seasons, so there could be a big changeover in the next couple of years, so I know Daryl Powell will want to get the best out of everybody and have one big push and do something special.”

Clare is again proudly sponsored by Geoshield for the coming season and after coming into 2020 on the back of a stellar 15-try 2019 campaign, again made a very strong start to the season, racking up four scores in his first five appearances before lockdown. But a stuttering resumption to the season for an injury riddled Fords’ side saw Clare demonstrate his versatility as he filled in at both fullback and centre as the season drew to a close.

Going forward, he was keen to stress that he’s happy to explore any role which will allow him to help the team succeed and play the game he loves:

“I love playing rugby league and I love representing the Tigers as well! If Powelly rang me up on one Saturday and said ‘Look, Sticks, I’m going to have to put you in at prop next week…’ then I’d happily play there and give it my best for the team! I enjoy being on the wing, it’s where I feel most at home, but we’ve got some outstanding fullback and centre options for next season too, so if I can get in the team ahead of them or filling in for injuries or suspensions, I’ll be happy to take every opportunity as it comes and do my job for the team.

“There’s that many players who have been here for such a long time and we’ve been building for a couple of years, that I think this team deserves some silverware and can definitely get to a final somewhere. However big or however small a part I play in getting the team to a Grand Final, or a Challenge Cup Final, that’s just what I want to achieve and I want to see this team do well and ultimately contribute to their history by lifting a piece of silverware at the end of the year!”

The 29-year old finds himself among the veterans of this Tigers side, alongside long-time club stalwarts and some familiar faces from his academy days. With this “old guard” sounding stronger than ever, there’s close ties in the squad for Clare: “There’s a bit of a bond, and obviously the people that you spend every single day with, they’ve become your best friend. I think I probably see some of these lads more than I see my wife and Arthur at the moment! You have to have a special bond and to have true professionals like Adam Milner who has his testimonial year, and Shenny who’s just come off the back of one, they’re two professionals who will get the best out of you; not just as a person off the field, but also out there on the field.

Their standards are so high, they’ve been there and done it, they’ve won the t-shirt, they’re driving every single person in the squad.

“Even Shenny, who is coming towards the end of his career, when we’re doing fitness, he still wants to win everything, he’s still pushing everyone, he’ll have a laugh and a joke with you saying ‘Come on!

You’re a couple of years younger than me, you should be beating me!’ It’s incredible to have good friends like that in the squad.”

Alongside older faces, a testing season for the Tigers also saw a number of debutants and younger players in the squad gain more game time. It’s something Sticks knows all too well having made his debut for the club out of the Club’s youth setup himself and he’s confident it’ll stand them in good stead for the rest of their careers.

“I remember in my debut game, you’re obviously training every single day and you’re looking up to all these people that are your idols, and you feel like you’re a million miles away at times, because you’re just an academy kid who’s come off the back of an

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main feature

academy season and then all of a sudden you’re full-time and you’re thinking ‘Well, I might make my Super League debut next year or the year after that’ but then it comes round very quickly, so I know the sacrifices and hard work that those individuals and their families have put in. It’s very special and it makes you nostalgic for your own debut and it’s nice to see them with a smile on their face.”

There’s only so much time to reminisce of course, with plenty of prep to be done for the next campaign, so shortly before Christmas, he joined the rest of the squad in December’s Christmas camp and the infamous “pit shift” which saw the players pushed to their limits while working a gruelling 12-hour day designed to help them better identify with Castleford’s community.

“It was really exciting!

Obviously we’ve spent a little bit of time going around the Castleford area and learning just a little bit about the history. I think that’s what important for the club.

Obviously, there’s some local Cas lads that play and know what it’s all about, but for those who are from out the area and from overseas, it’s important to understand the people in this area and how much they love their rugby league and how much it’s been a big part of the history.

A really tough challenge to end the year with and start preseason on, it’ll kick us on now into 2021.

But for Sticks, the sacrifice was well worth it since it meant being able to spend the Christmas period with his young family and have the perfect stepping stone to a brighter 2021.

“We’ve always had a Boxing Day game or a New Year’s Day game etc. for the last ten years, so for Arthur’s first Christmas, to get to spend it at home with Kimberley and my family was amazing. But I’m ready to rip in now after having a little bit of a break, everyone’s come in freshfaced: Some people are in the best nick I’ve ever seen them in, they look like they’ve been

looking after themselves in the offseason so it’s an exciting year ahead.”

A challenge hardly unique to the Fords, nor rugby league in general is that posed by the ongoing Covid-19 Pandemic. Social distancing and bubbling have certainly made for a unique start to the offseason by all accounts!

“It’s really difficult, because that team bonding is one of the things we can be missing out on: We’ve just had lunch, but you can only sit with the same table of four every single day, you’re kind of stuck with some partners but at the same time, we’re all rugby league professionals and it’s our full time job, so if it’s a box-ticker that we’ve got to do, or wear our masks for certain things, we know that’s expected of us.

We’re all true professionals that want to be successful and if we do have a Covid outbreak, it massively affects the team: You could lose five or ten players and it affects the performances so we’ve had a good chat about it and we agreed we get all these things done that need to be done and be as safe as possible and hopefully that can show in the performances on the field!”

Speaking on the re-signing, Head Coach Daryl Powell was pleased to welcome a familiar face back for another year: “Sticks has been our most improved player I think, he has slotted in and been as consistent as ever. He just works so hard on his game, he is so committed to what he does and one of the players who works the hardest and is reaping the rewards. I’m delighted to see him sign this extension, I’m looking forward to working with him and seeing how far he can improve and grow as a player.”

Meanwhile Director of Rugby at Castleford Tigers Jon Wells was happy to see a player’s hard

“I’m ready to rip in now after having a little bit of a break, everyone’s come in fresh-faced: Some people are in the best nick I’ve ever seen them in” work over a number of years rewarded: “Sticks is one of the most valued members of our squad. He has earned this deal the hard way; he’s been asked to play in a number of different positions, has not had the luxury of certainty that some players enjoy and every step of the way he’s applied himself, made the best of himself and I know he’s working now to better himself further. I’m genuinely delighted for him.”

With the 2021 season fast approaching, Clare spoke directly to the Cas fans after a tumultuous 2020, but was hopeful to see people back in the stadium for next year: “I’d like to say a massive thank you for the support that you did show us during 2020, it was a very difficult year for everybody on and off the field, so we’re thankful for every bit of support from you. I’d hopefully like to go one step further in 2021, we know we’ve got your backing off the field in 2021, and to get you back down at the Mend-A-Hose Jungle would be absolutely amazing!” www.castlefordtigers.com January 2021

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BURROW 7 SHIRTS HELP PUSH OGGY FUNDRAISER OVER £20,000!

Nearly a month after finishing his challenge, Oliver Holmes has raised over £20,000 to help support Rob Burrow’s fightback fund & the Motor Neurone Disease Association.

rugby league community, Oliver Holmes expressed his desire to help raise funds for Rob.

A contributor towards this staggering total was the auction for the signed “Burrow 7” Tigers shirt, which the club had intended to wear in their 2020 fixture vs. Leeds Rhinos.

The winning bids combined have raised over £1000!

Holmes was joined, socially distanced, with friends and colleagues during the course of the marathon challenge of 100km cycled each day for a week – totalling 700km in recognition of one of the greatest #7’s that Super League has seen play the game.

Back in December 2019, Rob Burrow was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease (MND) and much like the entire

A big thank you once again to all fans and supporters who have helped Oggy reach this total!

Meanwhile, 21-year old O’Neill has been voted as the League Express Young Player of the Year for 2020 with 44.2% of the total vote, seeing off strong competition in Harry Newman (Leeds), Harry Smith (Wigan), Danny Walker (Warrington) and Jack Welsby (St Helens).

Castleford Tigers captain Michael Shenton made a £400 donation to My Hospital Charity.

Last week Michael called into the charity offices based at Pinderfields in Wakefield to meet the fundraising team and make the donation, there the Tigers’ captain said: “This has been such a strange year for everyone here at Castleford Tigers and across Rugby League. My testimonial year did not go to plan. We had lots of exciting events in the pipeline but that was not meant to be as Covid-19 changed the shape of 2020.

When we entered the first lock-down we were already planning my summer training range, and just seeing the fabulous work our NHS do I knew I had the opportunity to help.

My Hospitals Charity do a great job helping people right in the heart of our community, and it has been great to be able to help them in a small way.”

A few more individual accolades to go around the Tigers dressing room as in their annual readers’ poll, Paul McShane & Jacques O’Neill were voted League Express’ Player of the Year and Young Player of the Year.

The reigning Steve Prescott Man of Steel comfortably won with 47.2% of the total vote and becomes the third Tigers player to be named League Express Player of the Year, following Daryl Clark in 2014 and Luke Gale in 2017.

SHENTON SUPPORTS LOCAL NHS Shenton made the commitment of support back in May when launching his testimonial summer training range, by deciding to donate 20% of sales from the range to My Hospital Charity, the official charity partner of the Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust, who enhance patient care and experience in hospitals in Wakefield, Pontefract and Dewsbury.

MORE AWARDS FOR MCSHANE AND O’NEILL!

LIFELONG CAS FAN DENISE GOLDIE PASSES AWAY Castleford Tigers are saddened to announce the passing of Denise Goldie.

In a breakthrough 12 months for the Tigers’ Academy graduate, Jacques made 12 appearances and scored twice, but he also made his claim for a starting spot in Daryl Powell’s matchday side, with tough performances and a no-care attitude for opposing players’ reputations.

Denise was a Fords’ fan for nearly 50 years since first cheering them on from the Wheldon Road end aged 10. Her daughter Sarah told the club that later in life she brought her young girls and then her Grandson to watch Cas take to the field. Sarah also added “I know she will be cheering the team on from up there when the season returns.”

www.castlefordtigers.com January 2021

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TIGERS SIGN OFF 2020 WITH CHRISTMAS CAMP THE FIRST TEAM UNDERTOOK A SPECIAL CHRISTMAS CAMP TO KEEP IN SHAPE, WELCOME THE NEW FACES AND DISCOVER SOME OF THE HOMETOWN HERITAGE THAT THEY HOPE WILL SPUR THEM ONTO SUCCESS IN 2021.

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his week marked the return of the Tigers First Team to training in a short “Christmas camp” for what will be their final action of 2020.

A key part of this camp was the recent ‘Pit Shift’ - a gruelling 12-hour training day incorporating their usual fitness regimes alongside orienteering, teamwork and a whole host of other challenges designed to push the players outside their comfort zones and encourage them to recognise what many Fords fans past and present will have experienced in working in the coal pits surrounding Castleford.

Being born in Pontefract, and after a combined fifteen years with the club, Captain Michael Shenton is no stranger to Castleford’s history, and he spoke about how important industry has been for the community and his own personal ties to the area: “[Mining] is twinned with the area, my family has been involved in the mining industry for a long time while

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it was prevalent here, so it means a lot to me to be able to talk about the heritage, what it means to the people of Castleford and the town, and the personal ties to myself.

“It’s a hardworking town and it’s what we mean to the town and what the town means to us, and having that relationship going forward, and making sure that we, as a team, can buy into those standards, work hard and echo those values that we see in our community.”

With it being the middle of December, the team was assembled from quarter to five in the morning with a dark and rainy day ahead of them to begin their challenge. But Shenton thinks this will only help reinforce the spirit that the club’s performance staff are after when devising this unique test: “When you do days like this, these little mini camps, when the weather’s difficult, it is tough: You’ve got to steel your mind to it, you’ve got to work well in small groups. These are all the

January 2021 www.castlefordtigers.com

things you kind of grow into, you develop these values, and you grow your team’s spirit, which is so massively important nowadays. I think Daryl’s (Powell) always tried to buy into the heritage of the community and the club, the history and since Jon (Wells) has come in, he’s been a big part of that as well.”

After the camp, the team will have some well-earned time off over Christmas before returning in the New Year and the Tigers’ Captain was confident that these sessions will help lay down a marker for what to expect in 2021.

“We could have easily come in on 4th January when most teams are coming in, but we all know how important this year is. We did not hit the standards that we wanted last year, and there was disruption with COVID-19, but we have to put all that behind us and we have to move forward.

“I think we’ve made some exceptional signings, there are some real quality, motivated players coming into this team, who are going to really add strength and depth going forward. This is all a way of setting standards really, this is what we expect, we want to dig in here before Christmas, have a small break over the holidays, but then we know what’s expected of us in the New Year, and we can really start building some momentum going towards the 11th of March.”

In and amongst all the hard work, there will be some time for resting up over the Christmas period and uniquely this year, more time to be festive with the family and prepare mentally for next season.

“It’s been nice to have some time off just before this camp and do some Christmassy things”, Shenton added.

“It’s hard with so much shut down at the minute, but normally we’d be training until right up until Christmas Eve so it’s nice to have time with the family, and that time between Christmas

and New Year, where you’re not worried about training.

There are little bits to do at home to stay in good nick of course, but it’s ideal to relax and refresh the mind to be ready to go when we come back in.”

With the foundation laid for the 2021 pre-season in January, the Castleford captain is raring to go and looking forward to stepping into the new season with something to prove: “I can’t wait. I really cannot wait, I’m really excited! I see the boys here, I see smiles on their faces, they are motivated. I know they’ve been working hard in the off-season, so everyone feels a little bit like we didn’t do ourselves justice in 2020, so let’s move on and let’s make sure that doesn’t happen again and that we’re really challenging at the top for 2021.”

Castleford Tigers’ Director of Rugby Jon Wells spoke about the importance of the Christmas Camp as a way of getting to meet the new players and setting the expectations for what is to come from January 4th.

“It’s a pre-cursor to the official start of the 2021 pre-season, the players are very excited about, for the first time in living memory actually having a Christmas period where they can spend some time with their families.

It’s a three-day, get to know you, goal setting camp based down here at The Mend-AHose Jungle, more of a social interaction, socially distanced of course with a couple of tasks thrown in there which will challenge the guys mentally and physically.

“As we speak midway through the second day, on the evidence of that we have got a really good blend of personalities, from the outside looking in you are looking at names and you are looking at big signings. By the way I think we have assembled a very competitive squad for 2021, but on the inside, you are looking for other bits of value

as well and taking four or five steps back and having a look from the periphery there is some really interesting personalities there and a real good blend of people. It looks like a good group and they enjoy spending time together, I can see that already.”

The squad also features a great blend of experienced players and youngsters, heading into 2021 Wells is expecting the young Tigers to want to step up.

“Of course, the challenges run two ways with guys like Grant Millington who is coming into the twilight years of his career and he goes round again with us and you could pair him up for example with new signing Lewis Bienek, a young kid who I think has got an absolute bundle of potential,” said Wells.

“I think one putting pressure on the other, from the down up and Grant because he’s a humble bloke, there is no ego there, he is going to be willing to share his knowledge with someone like Lewis. There are little match ups like that around the place.

As the camp ended Head Coach Daryl Powell was delighted with what he saw from his team and gave ROAR his review.

“This camp was about bringing the new guys in and starting to set our standards moving forward. Look, we let ourselves down last year, massively, I think myself as Head Coach I wasn’t happy with my performance after lockdown and I got frustrated by everything that was happening to us, and I have got to make sure that doesn’t happen to me again.

I am looking for my best ever year from a coaching perspective, I think we’ve got a really good strong group of players, we’ve got the inputs of new players who are going to be awesome for us. Then there is great motivation from everybody involved within the squad to be outstanding in 2021, this

camp has been great, I think there is an outstanding spirit amongst the players, and you can see that straight away.

“We’ve got ten weeks to get ourselves ready for Super League, I don’t think there will be many people giving us much of a chance, but I am certainly thinking that we are going to be looking to win the competition and I don’t see any reason why not. It is going to be tough, I looked at the Grand Final and I thought the standard was outstanding and that is what everyone in the competition is aspiring to, we know we can get there, we’ve got to get there and stay there consistently, and I think we can do that.

I AM LOOKING FOR MY BEST EVER YEAR FROM A COACHING PERSPECTIVE, I THINK WE’VE GOT A REALLY GOOD STRONG GROUP OF PLAYERS, WE’VE GOT THE INPUTS OF NEW PLAYERS WHO ARE GOING TO BE AWESOME FOR US. “The boys know what to expect, they know what I expect, and I think they know they need to drive each other to achieve what we want to achieve. We have got some great recruits coming in and we are looking forward to the challenge, there’s so many people who have got motivation – whether it’s their last season in the game or we’ve got quite a few players who are off contract so there is motivation there, and then there is motivation that every position is pretty strong.

I thoroughly expect our players to be driven and focused and looking forward to the challenge in front of us.”

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Youth Squads Back to Covid Complaint Training to round out 2020 AFTER NINE MONTHS AWAY FROM THE RUGBY FIELD, THE TIGERS’ YOUNG STARS MADE IT BACK TO THE TRAINING FIELD IN DECEMBER – BUT WITH A DIFFERENCE. Castleford’s under-16s and under-19s squads returned to training earlier last month but rather than the usual pre-season conditioning, it’s COVID-19 compliance at the forefront of their winter activities this year.

It’s seen both youth development squads switch to a separate training base away from the first team, with training initially limited to twice a week and the players kept strictly within smaller groups to minimise the risk.

The considerable body of work required to facilitate the academy’s return has been led by club doctor Nick Raynor and he told ROAR about some of the preparations that have been made.

“We’ve taken every precaution possible and we’ve worked closely with the RFL to get everything ready, including a full assessment on the new training venue. For now, contact time is limited and they’ve been divided into smaller groups to prevent crosscontamination and make contact tracing easier if anybody tests positive, but just having them back at all is a huge step in the right direction.

“We’re doing a lot of the same things we do with the First Team squad. Every academy and scholarship player and member of staff has had to do an individual risk assessment for their household so that we’re aware of their personal circumstances and whether they’re living with anybody who’s at a higher risk.

“They’ve all had to complete an education module set by the RFL, they fill in a wellness questionnaire every day before training and we’re looking at bringing in lateral flow testing for the youth sides as well. There’s probably more responsibility being placed on these lads than ever before at this level.”

The recent national lockdown enacted in January will likely see both Academy and Scholarship sides suspend training for two weeks at the recommendation of the RFL. But despite the necessary changes and Covid challenges facing them, it’s nevertheless been a much-needed return for the scholarship and academy sides, who – as with the club’s women’s team – had their seasons cancelled during the first lockdown earlier last year.

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January 2021 www.castlefordtigers.com

The club’s youth staff, led by Head of Youth Performance Darren Higgins, have received plenty of praise from parents for their efforts to support the young players over the summer, with players allocated their own personal training programmes and kept connected with regular online workshops and digital get-togethers with teammates, welfare officers and coaching staff.

It’s provided a welcome structure for young adults who have had their daily routines turned upside down, but the longer-term effects of Covid are still being felt at junior level following several changes to youth competitions for next season.

These have seen the under-18s set-up revert back to an under-19s category for next season, whilst the reserves competition has been postponed until 2022, with youth coaches supporting a number of players who are now too old to play academy rugby in finding a new club for 2021.

For those players who remain, they are now tasked with making up for a season’s lost development time, but Dr. Raynor stressed the emphasis being placed on accountability under the new rules.

“We’ve really been educating the players about honesty and stressing that following these rules is now part of their professional standards as young athletes. It’s not tough to overlook symptoms, or to feel a bit ill and then come in and train. This isn’t like playing through bruised ribs and trying to be tough, it’s about being honest and responsible.

“The lads have been really good so far, but we accept that some infections will be inevitable at this age group. These lads go to school or to college, they live within larger groups at home with their parents and families, so aside from rugby, they’re going to be at greater risk of exposure within the community.

“That’s where the risks come from as we’ve seen from the Super League season that it’s not spreading from team to team on the field of play. I don’t think there’s been a single case of opposition players going on to test positive for Covid after being stood down under test and trace protocols.

“We know where the risks come from and it’s about how we handle it.”

www.castlefordtigers.com January 2021

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Castleford Tigers are pleased to announce it has reached a new commercial agreement with international testing company Screen4 for the 2021 season.

The UK-based firm, which has worked with Emirates Airlines and Racing Point F1, was appointed as the Betfred Super League’s official COVID-19 testing partner earlier last year and had previously worked alongside the Tigers to provide allergy testing for the first team squad.

The partnership between the Fords and Screen4 has now reached new heights, with the business agreeing to a sponsorship package that includes in-ground advertising within the Jack Fulton Stand at the Mend-A-Hose Jungle and a place on the club’s home, away, physio and trainer run on tops used across matchdays by the squad.

Screen4 will also take up the sponsorship of the Castleford Tigers app from the start of next season as part of the oneyear package.

Commercial Manager Craig Jeffels said: “I would like to welcome new club partners Screen4 to the Tigers in 2021, following their successful COVID-19 testing operation for the entire Super League in 2020.

“It is great for us to be working with international brands like Screen4, who showed their professionalism and experience throughout one of the toughest years rugby league and sport, in general, will ever encounter. Thanks to Cheryl at Screen4 for getting this partnership off the ground.

“We look forward to seeing more of Screen4 at the Jungle in 2021 and working with Cheryl and the team to grow the partnership for the future.”

Cheryl Smith, Head of Marketing at Screen4 Ltd, said: “We are thrilled to begin our sponsorship deal with Castleford Tigers. We supported the team during the 2020 season providing them amongst other Super League clubs with COVID-19 testing. We built a strong working relationship by joining forces to keep the game alive and tackling COVID-19 within the sport.

“I’m personally a proud supporter of my local team and now we as a business can help to support them financially.

We can’t wait to support the team throughout 2021.”

www.castlefordtigers.com December 2020

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Morrisons Community Champions again!

WITH THE HELP OF CASTLEFORD TIGERS FOUNDATION, THE SUPERMARKET GIANT HAS WORKED HARD TO GIVE OUT SOME SWEET TREATS TO HARD-WORKING CHILDREN AND SOME OF THE MOST VULNERABLE IN OUR COMMUNITY. 24

January 2021 www.castlefordtigers.com

After their fantastic work supplying lunches to all Tigers Talent Pathway participants in October, the Club and Foundation would like to thank Morrisons and all their staff for donating Christmas selection boxes and biscuits to those who deserve them this Christmas.

Facilitated by the Castleford Tigers Foundation, topattending pupils at Airedale Academy received a selection box as a reward for their fantastic commitment during what has been a very trying year. In addition to this, the Foundation were able to connect Morrisons with local partners who work with some of the most disadvantaged families in our community to put a smile on their face.

Jo Murray, Community Champion at Morrisons Castleford said:

“OUR ROLE AS COMMUNITY CHAMPION IS ALL ABOVE GIVING BACK AND STRENGTHENING COMMUNITY TIES. HOPEFULLY THIS IS JUST A LITTLE BIT OF A CHRISTMAS TREAT, AT WHAT’S BEEN A DIFFICULT TIME THIS YEAR FOR MANY STUDENTS AND FAMILIES!”

Aberford Christmas Party Our usual sessions for delivery in Aberford Primary School were a little different the week before Christmas…It was great to see so many smiling faces for a festive PE party at Aberford Primary!

Foundation staff helped with the holding of a Christmas party for different classes every afternoon, so there was plenty of games, dodgeball and rockin’ around the Christmas tree!

Assistant Principal at Airedale Academy, James Podlewski passed on his thanks, saying

“I’D JUST LIKE TO THANK JO MURRAY AND EVERYONE AT MORRISONS CASTLEFORD FOR THEIR VERY GENEROUS DONATION OF SELECTION BOXES AND BISCUITS FOR OUR STUDENTS WITH GOOD ATTENDANCE, IT’S FANTASTIC THAT THIS HAD BEEN ARRANGED BY THE CASTLEFORD TIGERS FOUNDATION, IT IS MUCH APPRECIATED IN THESE TIMES!”

Tigers help out with Active and Inspired!

Shortly before Christmas, Tigers first team players Jesse Sene-Lefao and Peter Mata’utia paid a visit to an “Active and Inspired” session in Pontefract.

The scheme runs as part of Wakefield Council Community Teams’s efforts in the local area and aims to encourage

young people aged eight to sixteen to be active and engage in sporting activities.

The friendly faces from the club were all too happy to sign a few autographs and hand out some gifts, but were also there to hold a Q&A and chat with some very inquisitive young minds, there was a lot to be learned!

www.castlefordtigers.com January 2021

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you back! Furthermore, thanks to a generous anonymous donor, the Club and Foundation were able to give away a number of first team-signed shirts to key workers in the local area to thank them and as a reminder that 2020 could have looked very, very different if not for their dedication!

Foundation Year in Review With 2020 in the rear-view mirror, we have time to reflect on the tremendous efforts put in by the Castleford Tigers Foundation and all their staff throughout the past year. The Foundation represents the charitable arm of the club, and we work with a range of local partners including: schools, community clubs, local councils, businesses and many, many more to promote positive lifestyle choices, engage and give back to the Five Towns community. There’s too much to mention everything we got up to in 2020, but this is the ideal opportunity to highlight some of the immensely rewarding projects that we could help deliver during a very different year!

The year began in earnest with our regular provisions in schools: Foundation Development Officers working with numerous local schools in the form of P.E sessions, after-school clubs, and other community-based projects.

As well as working with children in schools, the Foundation welcomed several community clubs to Tigers’ home fixtures in the early part of the year, with Brotherton Bulldogs, Normanton Knights, and Sherburn Bears all being fantastic ambassadors for their clubs and enjoying the chance to be flag bearers and mascots at the MendA-Hose Jungle. Some of these young players will no doubt have impressed on the open access “Tigers Talent Pathway” which ran for the first time in February and aims to provide access to quality coaching and facilities for aspiring rugby league players.

By March, both our Physical Disability Rugby League (PDRL) teams and Learning Disability Rugby League (LDRL) teams were training hard in anticipation of their new season, and the Castleford Tigers College was entering its 3rd year, will all students performing to their usual high standards.

Additionally, our health and wellbeing scheme “Back Onside” was running in partnership with Rugby League Cares, and great strides had been made by all participants thanks to the coaching of Tiger’s legend Dean Sampson.

Unfortunately, the Covid-19 pandemic put much of this great work on

pause, with lockdown forcing many programmes to be suspended for a few months. However this wasn’t going to stop the Foundation! Many staff members worked round the clock to step up and continue their supportive work round the community: Special thanks to club sponsor’s Motorpoint for helping to support not one but two fantastic initiatives: Tigers Home Point operated before lockdown and helped to provide food packs and other essentials to those most in need during the pandemic, before Motorpoint Castleford hosted a drive-in cinema to help raise funds for the Foundation and the club’s charity partner, The Prince of Wales Hospice: A dark and rainy evening didn’t put many people off as over 70 cars turned up to see Pretty Woman on the big screen, raising over £1000 for each charity!

September saw Foundation staff return to schools for the first time since March! Looking a little different with appropriate social distancing measures and Coronavirus precautions in place, nonetheless it was good to see those happy faces again when we popped in!

October half-term also saw the Tigers Talent Pathway return, ably supported

by Morrisons Castleford who provided nearly ninety lunches over three days for our participants to help support the campaign for free school meals!

There was, of course, time for reflection, as well as celebration, and with Remembrance Day set to look very different this year, we were humbled to be able to help honour the sacrifices of all the servicemen and -women, past and present, from the Five Towns Area with a laying of a wreath at Airedale Academy.

With Christmas fast approaching, club mascot JT had to lend Santa a helping hand as part of “Kits for Kids”, a scheme to ensure as many local children as possible can pull on a Tigers’ shirt to cheer on their favourite team! In total, over 300 shirts were given out to pupils at schools in the local area, with some friendly faces lending a hand as Colson Smith and Adrian Vowles helped to share our story!

It wasn’t just the Foundation helping out over Christmas of course, Supermarket giant Morrisons and their Community Champions were able to providing selection boxes and biscuits for secondary school pupils as a Christmas treat.

The Coronavirus Pandemic was a testing time for all of us, but it also provided the opportunity for the dedication of our key workers to be recognised!

The Key Worker Spotlight launched back in April and saw the community really come together to help nominate and appreciate those individuals who have helped unite and inspire the country. Nominated individuals included everyone from nurses to essential couriers and all were rewarded with a ticket to a future Tigers’ home game and we can’t wait to welcome

All-in-all, a very unique year! Not without its challenges and the Foundation couldn’t have made it through without you: We as a Foundation, really hope to make a difference and help people in our area feel cared for, and without the commitment of our supporters’ time, effort, and money, we simply wouldn’t be able to do that. A big, big thank you from all of us here at the Foundation, we hope to go on to bigger and better things in 2021.

See you next year!

www.castlefordtigers.com January 2021

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castleford tigers women

Women’s rugby league legend retires CASTLEFORD TIGERS STAR, CLAIRE GARNER, HAS DECIDED TO HANG UP HER BOOTS AND STEP AWAY FROM THE SPORT AT THE AGE OF 30.

Her career in rugby league may not have been long however, it’s certainly worthy of a Hollywood movie or an Amazon Prime Video documentary.

World Cup squad. Garner, alongside her new England teammates, travelled to Australia for the 2017 edition of the tournament.

Garner only started playing rugby league in 2016 when she joined the Bradford Bulls. Over the next four years, she would go on to win almost everything that was on offer.

In the end, England bowed out at the semi-final stage but Garner was now able to add another impressive achievement to her CV.

She claimed the Women’s Super League and Women’s Challenge Cup titles in 2017 when playing for the Bradford Bulls. Garner played a big role in that team which went on to win every game that calendar year – a team that became known as the 2017 Bradford Bulls Invincibles team.

As 2018 rolled into view, this proved to be a far less successful season for the Bulls. The competition had increased and many of the players that played for Bradford had departed. The Women’s Super League was now in full flow with teams such as Castleford Tigers, Wigan Warriors and Leeds Rhinos joining the division.

Her performances for the Bulls that year earned her a place in the England

After a trophy-less year, Garner was on her way out of Bradford and decided

to join Keighley Cougars for the 2019 campaign. Keighley may not have been a Women’s Super League team but the club was close to her doorstep at the time.

However, after a couple of weeks, Garner had a change of heart and in the early months of 2019, the England international was on her way to the Mend-A-Hose Jungle.

At this point in time, Castleford had also just signed Rhiannion Marshall and were building serious momentum ahead of the new campaign.

Despite only just joining the team, Garner was chosen as captain by her fellow teammates.

The season started brightly with the team picking up big league wins over main rivals; including the defending WSL champions Wigan Warriors and defending Challenge Cup holders Leeds Rhinos.

Garner’s first taste of silverware came over in France as Castleford lifted the inaugural HerRL Trophy in Perpignan.

A win over the Deesses Catalanes gave the Tigresses additional momentum for the league campaign back in the UK.

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castleford tigers women

“Thank you to everyone who made my Rugby journey possible and as enjoyable as it was. I did things and experienced things I would never have done if it wasn’t for the opportunities Rugby gave me.”

A couple of months later, Castleford booked their place in the Challenge Cup final but their unbeaten run was not to last. Leeds got the better of the Tigresses in Bolton winning the Cup for a second successive year.

As Castleford returned to winning ways, they began to chase the League Leaders Shield. Lindsay Anfield’s team was still unbeaten in the league and had regained some of their lost momentum.

The winning run continued and with a game to go, Castleford lifted the League Leaders Shield following a win over York City Knights in front of a packed Wheldon Road. Garner had just lifted her second piece of silverware as a Tigers captain.

With the Shield in the trophy cabinet, it was now time for the team to try and win the Women’s Super League. The final game of the regular season ended in disappointment as Cas lost to St. Helens however, the team came back strong with a win over Wigan in the WSL semi-final.

For Garner, though, this was the end of the road. The player had suffered a knee injury which meant she was ruled out for the Grand Final. The team entered the showpiece without their captain and ended up losing – once again to rivals Leeds Rhinos.

With the women’s season suspended in 2020, Garner would not get another chance to win more silverware.

Fast-forward to 2021, and the time has come for the half-back to hang up her boots. In a statement she went on to say: “Rugby it has been an absolute pleasure, but age has got the better of me and it’s time to hang the boots up for good.

“Thank you to everyone who made my Rugby journey possible and as enjoyable as it was. I did things and experienced things I would never have done if it wasn’t for the opportunities Rugby gave me.” www.castlefordtigers.com January 2021

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Hi Cas fans 2020… to quote The Queen “annus horribilis”, at least I’ve learnt something new; hands, face and space and I have learned new skills such as hoovering and washing up. But getting back to normality would be a big boost to one and all. I’m sure the players feel the same, preseason training has begun, and the new recruits are settling in and most importantly vaccinations are rolling out for one and all.

All I want to do is get back darnt’ the lane and start watching live rugby league again! You can only watch so much Vera and Midsomer Murders… I spoke about Jack Welsby’s last minute try to win the Grand Final in last month’s edition of ROAR and it got me thinking of any other last minute game changers, and I remembered three.

In fact, it was Don who changed direction of the kick-off after the Leeds penalty was converted by Bev Risman it gave Kenny Hirst the opportunity to kick and chase, and he touched down under the posts. We all jumped up and cheered when Ken Traill came out with the immortal words; “Sit down, he hasn’t kicked the flipping goal yet!”.

The first was Wakefield against St Helens at Belle Vue, I had just signed for Wakefield and was invited down to the game. It was nip and tuck but in the very last minute with St Helens trailing by four, Cumbrian forward Dick Huddart broke the line by the left-hand touchline and instead of grounding the ball he decided to try and make the conversion easier and started running round to the sticks, only he had put his foot on the dead ball line and the ref spotted it and Wakey won the game.

Huddart was distraught and didn’t travel home on the team bus, caught the train home, lesson learnt.

Thirdly, I was commentating on Cas’ home game against Wigan when we were getting beat and with about two minutes left Wigan got a penalty 25 yards out, Smith decided to go for a goal to put Wigan five points ahead.

Crucially giving Cas the halfway line from the kick-off. Cas regained possession and Luke Dorn scored in the last minute and it was converted to give Cas the victory.

The second was the famous Watersplash final of 1968, Leeds vs Wakefield, my hero Don Fox missing a last-minute conversion in front of the posts to give Leeds a victory.

Finally, what this pandemic has taught me is the rugby league saying that politicians could heed: ‘Teamwork makes the dream work’.

Cheers,

Morgy

www.castlefordtigers.com January 2021

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PLAYER INTERVIEW

WATTS FOCUSED ON STRONG YEAR WITH CAS One of Super League’s best forwards, Liam Watts knows how important of a year 2021 is to Castleford Tigers and the sport of rugby league as a whole with the World Cup on the horizon at the end of the year.

In the past he has not been shy about his international ambitions and will be fighting for a spot back in the England squad, but that’s not his primary focus, his main aim is for a successful season with the Tigers.

During Castleford’s Christmas Camp, ROAR caught up with Liam Watts for a catch up and he started by giving an update on his fitness.

“It’s good to be back, I had picked up a slight injury training before we came back in when we had our own programmes and just slightly tore my calf a little bit, so the first day I was sat on the Watt Bike for about four hours watching the lads! It was a bit frustrating not being out there on day one, but they put a good dig in to say it was the first day back, quite a lot of testing and it looked quite strenuous.

“My programme has been a bit different to what the lads have had at the start, I picked up an injury at the back end of the year and came back for the Leeds game. We were down on numbers and we had lost a few through injuries and COVID, so I put myself in, put my hand up for that game and now it’s about more or less getting back up to fitness levels and getting a good base for the start of 2021.”

Looking back on the year that was, it was a period of lots of ups and down for Liam.

“Obviously the birth of my new son was definitely an up, before COVID started we were flying and second in the table and we came back we were just on the wrong end of a few losses and stood in for games that we probably shouldn’t have played. But we stuck our hands up and we are not one to shy away from a battle and just came up short on a few occasions which was a bit upsetting after

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“It was a decision on both parts that I just concentrated on Cas and rather than looking too far ahead so my point of call is having a good, good 2021 for Castleford Tigers more than anything”

the start that we had. I think it’s time to put it to bed now and start looking to the new season.”

Heading into 2021 the Tigers have got the reigning Man of Steel in their squad, a player who Watts has battled against from their youth days and who he loves working on the same team with now.

“Macca has been on the scene for the last couple of years in that sort of category which has been massive for him and it’s testament to what he’s like in training, always competitive, he pushes everybody to the max. He just keeps trying to learn and is constantly in people’s ears coming up with new ideas which is why he is a great player to play with. Macca is a tough kid and I’ve played against him all my life; we’re the same age and we have had a few good battles over the years! It’s nice to see him getting recognized for the effort that he has put in over probably the last five or six years.”

in the outside backs which were much needed in Niall and Jordan coming in. It’s given us a few more dimensions to add to the ones we’ve already got.”

Castleford’s Christmas Camp was a tough three-day course of exercises and tasks designed to set the standards and lay down the groundwork for the upcoming campaign.

With the added bonus of having the festive period off, the players knew how important the camp was, as Wattsy explains.

“The camp was put in for a reason, they put it in so close to Christmas to get us out of our comfort zones with a few big days and for it not to be easy. Then we’ve got the break over Christmas with our families which is something we have never had; I’ve never had one for however long I’ve been playing.

Powelly’s even chucked one in there that he’s never had one for the last 35 years, that’s showing his age! It’s the first that we all can actually relax with no Boxing Day game, yeah, it’s a shame but it’s there for the fans and

the fans are not there. So, we enjoy it with our families and friends and hopefully hit the ground running come the start of January.”

Suaia Matagi and Lewis Bienek are two of four new faces in the Cas ranks for 2021, the two big men bolster Daryl Powell’s forward pack even further, but Liam discusses how the middles have got men returning and young Tigers nipping at their heels.

“We needed a bit of size in the pack and we’ve got that in Lewis and we’ve got that in Sui, they are definitely going to bolster our pack. Tyla came back into a bit of good form in the back end of the year and put his best foot forward for us, same with Jacques.

We’ve got youngsters like Sammy Hall, Nathan Magee and more that are young kids that are coming through the system, and we’ve got a few players back too. Fozzy (Alex Foster) is getting back to full fitness now and he can play in the pack, we’ll leave Jesse out of there… he can’t handle it in the middle with the big lads! He’s shies away from the hard work…! We’ve got a good bolster in the pack for us and a few additions

When the new season begins in March, Liam Watts will be focused to do well for the club, he knows a big year for him could see a call up into the England squad for the World Cup and that would be brilliant recognition for the prop forward.

“I came out of the England squad for a number of reasons, obviously my form has been nonexistent in 2020 which has been tough, battling a few injuries and niggles and it’s not allowed me to be consistent which was of the main things for me, I pride myself on consistency. I had a few chats with Shaun Wane and I’d not been consistent and if the form was, we had to play, I wouldn’t be playing so he was honest with me in that regard. It was a decision on both parts that I just concentrated on Cas and rather than looking too far ahead so my point of call is having a good, good 2021 for Castleford Tigers more than anything. Hopefully, we’re up there at the end of the year for the honours, then who knows come the World Cup, hopefully my form is at it’s peak and I’ve done what I needed to do now to put me in good stead for that.” www.castlefordtigers.com January 2021

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Season Ticket Update JANUARY 2021

2021 Season Ticket renewals are continuing at the start of the new year with the club making contact with supporters, fans wishing to get their tickets sorter sooner can do via our Ticket Hotlines only at this stage.

CASTLEFORD TIGERS ARE CLOSING IN ON 2,000 SEASON TICKET HOLDERS FOR THE 2021 SEASON! At the start of December, we reached 1,000 supporters who had signed up for a 2021 Castleford Tigers Season Ticket, and to celebrate the club drew a name at random from those supporters to win a signed Tigers ball! So, with 2,000 fans getting nearer to being reached, we are pleased to confirm we will be giving another signed ball away as a prize in the New Year! If you have already renewed or are looking to in the New Year, then who knows it could be you!

After 2020 ST holders selected one of three options for next year – DONATE, DISCOUNT or REFUND – the club’s ticketing staff has been incredibly busy taking calls and assisting supporters to finalise their options before processing renewals for the 2021 season. Fans have been signing up in big numbers and making use of the popular six-month direct debit scheme and contacting the club sooner rather than later to get their own tickets sorted before the club reached out to contact.

2021 Season Ticket renewals will now continue with the club contacting supporters or if fans wish to do it on their own time then please do so only over the phone via our Ticket Hotlines during the opening hours listed at the bottom of this article.

Given the current national lockdown, our Season Ticket/Stadium Store will remain closed to the public at this stage, as will our retail stores at Carlton Lanes or Xscape Yorkshire.

Over 1,800 fans have already renewed for the 2021 campaign and the waiting list for Fords fans wanting to become a new season ticket holder next year continues to grow, with a number of supporters from the waiting list already signed up! This has been possible following the confirmation of the number of supporters who

be reduced at the Mend-A-Hose Jungle and therefore the club is only allowing current season ticket holders to renew for next year at this stage.

However, with the Government confirming plans to allow up to 4,000 spectators at matches subject to the Covid restrictions in the area, the club now has the confidence to allocate this amount of season ticket and passholder sales for 2021.

2021 season tickets for new season ticket holders will be available at 2020 prices, with a six-month direct debit scheme available to spread the cost.

New season ticket cards will be issued to all new season ticket holders, but 2020 ticket holders are asked to retain their cards as these will be reused for the 2021 campaign.

To join the waiting list, simply fill in your details at castlefordtigers.com/ readytoroar

chose to not renew for 2021, and so these tickets could be reallocated to people on the waiting list in the order that fans registered their details.

2020 holders who selected the REFUND option for 2021 should have all been contacted by the club as part of the refund process, any queries or questions or supporters who have not yet received contact, please contact our Ticketing Manager via email: markgill@ castigers.com. Refunds will be calculated for each category on a pro-rata basis based on the number of games played in front of supporters during the 2020 season.

The 2021 Betfred Super League season will start in March, in the event of reduced capacities, season ticket holders will be given first priority in attending matches should capacities

For further information on the specific process for the DONATE, DISCOUNT and REFUND options, please see the Tigers website, https://castlefordtigers. com/article.php?id=7155

SEASON TICKET OFFICE OPENING HOURS Monday to Friday 9.30am to 3.30pm SEASON TICKET HOTLINES

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www.castlefordtigers.com January 2021

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CAS CONFIRM THREE YOUNG TIGERS FOR FIRST TEAM 2021 Castleford Tigers can confirm three young players to be involved within the First Team environment in 2021!

Cain Robb has put pen to paper on a twoyear contract running through to 2022, Brad Martin has extended his contract for a year and Brad Graham remains with the club in 2021. All three of the Tigers players have also featured for England at youth level.

show what I’ve got. Mainly for me, this is my first full pre-season with the First Team and just being around with the lads, so I’ll get on and train hard, work hard to become a better player.”

Last season was a memorable one for Tigers Academy graduate Brad Graham, who impressed during Castleford’s pre-season matches and was given squad number 28 in January. The 19-year-old made his Super League debut in October against Hull FC, and in 2021 he is aiming to compete for more topflight match minutes.

Both Graham and Martin made their Super League debuts with the Tigers during the 2020 season and will be aiming to continue their professional progression as they look to compete for First Team slots in the new campaign. Cain Robb was called up into the 21-man squad for Castleford’s final game of 2020 against Leeds but did not feature in the matchday 17, he will be working hard to make his top-flight debut in 2021.

“I’m really happy with how things went, I didn’t expect the opportunity to make my debut but with how the season went, it was a chance that came about, and I grabbed it with both hands,” said Graham.

A Tigers Academy product, 18-year-old hooker Cain Robb was delighted to sign the two-year contract.

“I’m looking to get more game time, more experience under my belt, a full pre-season and see what the future holds.

“It’s been good to get it all sorted and it’s a good opportunity to be training full time alongside all the players such as Macca (Paul McShane) and I have everyone helping me out when I ask questions to make me a better player.”

“We’ve got good options with Shenny (Michael Shenton), Pete (Mata’utia) and we’ve signed Jordan Turner and he will add some real quality in the centres. So, it’s just a challenge for someone like me who is new coming into it, getting to train with these boys is phenomenal. It pushes me to train harder and to want to be the best I can be and where I can also push them, I want to do that.”

“I’ve come through the Scholarship system under Danny Evans and all the Academy staff who have been phenomenal really with our development. I was a bit of an all-rounder and Danny turned me into a hooker and we went from there. Everyone here I can’t fault, they’ve been really good with me all the coaches.”

“You can’t learn from anyone better, he’s the best in his game and just asking little stuff in and around training with Paul is massive. Little stuff with him helping me out has been a big thing, with my talk, my passing and more.

“Hopefully, I just keep working hard and I can prove to Daryl to give me a chance and I’ll

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Signing until the end of the 2021 season is the latest step in Graham’s development with Castleford Tigers, a club he’s been with since he was 13 years old.

CAIN ROBB

Robb will be continuing to work with and learn from the 2020 Steve Prescott Man of Steel, Paul McShane, an integral part of the Tigers squad and someone who often speaks to Cain about his game.

“I’ve been at the club for nearly five years and spent all my teenage years at Cas, I’ll be 20 next year, but when I got the opportunity to sign here everything just clicked and it did since day one, it is still clicking now. I’m really enjoying my rugby and I come through the gates every day and every day is a challenge which is what you want.

“In the next year or so I am looking to pen my future down, whether that be a two or three-

Brad Martin joined Castleford Tigers ahead of the 2020 pre-season after coming through the Leeds Rhinos Academy and was called up into the First Team squad ahead of the first home game of the season against Wigan Warriors, receiving squad number 31. The 19-year-old trained with the First Team squad all season before making his Super League debut in October against Hull KR. Commenting on the news of his extension Brad Martin said: “I’m really proud to have signed for another year, it was a bit of an awkward year as we all know, but I was glad to make my debut and show what I can do and earn another year. I’m really looking forward to this season; it should be good,” said Martin.

BRAD MARTIN

year contract if possible. Obviously, I’ve got a lot of hard work to do to get to that point but that will be the main goal for me.”

“All the players welcomed me, and it was good the past year and this year I’m not as nervous and I feel more like I can speak to the lads as one of them, I should enjoy it a lot more this year I think.”

“I’M REALLY PROUD TO HAVE SIGNED FOR ANOTHER YEAR, IT WAS A BIT OF AN AWKWARD YEAR AS WE ALL KNOW, BUT I WAS GLAD TO MAKE MY DEBUT AND SHOW WHAT I CAN DO AND EARN ANOTHER YEAR” BRAD MARTIN

“I’VE BEEN AT THE CLUB FOR NEARLY FIVE YEARS AND SPENT ALL MY TEENAGE YEARS AT CAS, I’LL BE 20 NEXT YEAR. I’M REALLY ENJOYING MY RUGBY AND I COME THROUGH THE GATES EVERYDAY AND EVERYDAY IS A CHALLENGE WHICH IS WHAT YOU WANT” BRAD GRAHAM

sharp out of dummy half. He just makes some little things happen and we think he’s got a decent future in the game and he is learning from a class nine in Paul McShane, but he’ll learn from anybody and I think it’s one of his biggest attributes.

“I’d like to learn from all of them really, we’ve got a lot of good senior players here so if I can take a bit from each of them then hopefully it will make me more of a rounded player. With seniors such as Millo (Grant Millington), it’s been good to get that experience off him.”

Whilst Brad Martin will be looking to gain the wisdom of the senior players in the pack, he also has his fellow Tigers to lean on and he believes it lends for good competition within the team as a whole.

“The young lads get on really well and I think that last year we were more of a bunch of each other but we’re trying to expand and be a part of other groups in the club with the senior players. It’s good that there is a few of us because we can push each other for positions.”

Head Coach Daryl Powell was pleased for the three young Tigers and commented on each of the players.

“We’ve been super impressed with Cain, his commitment to being a professional rugby league player I think is outstanding. He puts everything in there, he’s prepared to talk, he’s got some real instinct as a nine and is

BRAD GRAHAM

Martin re-joins his fellow forwards in the Tigers’ pack in 2021 and will continue his development alongside some highly experienced players.

“I’VE COME THROUGH THE SCHOLARSHIP SYSTEM UNDER DANNY EVANS AND ALL THE ACADEMY STAFF WHO HAVE BEEN PHENOMENAL REALLY WITH OUR DEVELOPMENT” CAIN ROBB

“Brad Graham has a good physical frame, a good kid and I think the same with all these young players’ parents, they have done an awesome job in helping them to mature as young men. The jury is out a little bit on whether Brad is a centre or a back-rower because he is probably going to grow to be capable of playing in the back row too, another player with a really great attitude.

It was a tough outing against Hull last year, but I think he learned a lot about himself and what was required to play in Super League, there is no doubt he will work exceptionally hard to achieve his goals.

“Brad Martin is one of those players who players don’t like to train against, he’s a handful and pretty explosive and fearless to boot. When he played last year, he showed up pretty well, really strong, he got knocked out, but he just needs to work on where to put his head when defending! But he has got potential and his explosiveness lends him to back or front row. We’ve got some good young players at the club at the moment and he is one of them.”

Director of Rugby at Castleford Tigers Jon Wells spoke about the young players within the First Team environment and said: “We’ve got a great group of young men here at the Tigers who are all better off after working with the First Team over the past year, the quality of the young kids that are coming through is a cut above what we’ve had in the past. That is going to provide extra pressure for places and that can only be a good thing.” www.castlefordtigers.com January 2021

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PLAYER INTERVIEW

New Year, new challenge for Niall Evalds There is no doubt that the star signing for Castleford Tigers in 2021 is the skilful and fleetfooted Niall Evalds, a player who has scored 105 tries in 152 appearances for Salford Red Devils and is in fact the Greater Manchester club’s all-time record try-scorer.

T

he 27-year-old came through the Red Devils academy and has been part of their First Team squad since 2013, his only other professional rugby appearances have been for the England Knights. Therein lies one of the main reasons Evalds joined the Tigers, he wanted a brandnew challenge in his career and he wanted it with Castleford.

Just before Christmas, the Fords’ First Team gathered at The Mend-A-Hose Jungle for a tough, three-day camp full of tasks and hard work, including on one day a 12-hour ‘Pit Shift’. ROAR caught up with Niall on his very first day with the club, to get his early thoughts on now being a Tiger.

“It’s good to be here! Good to get the first session out of the way and start to get to know all the boys and things like that, it’s been a good first day but it is pre-season so the weather’s not been too great as expected, but it’s been good to see everyone.

“I’ve come here for a fresh challenge and that is what it’s going to be, I’m very excited to work with Powelly (Daryl Powell) and all the players here. It’s nice, it’s good to come in and the hard work starts now doesn’t it?”

That is probably selling it short.

Pre-season as ever will be a gruelling schedule of training before the Super League season kicks off on March 11th, but the Tigers’ Christmas Camp was all about getting to know one another again, meeting the new lads and setting the standards for what was to come in January.

“Pre-season is just hard work isn’t it?

But it’s now all new for me coming into a different environment and the hard work never changes but getting used to different players and a different team than what I’m used to is going to be fun. I’m looking forward to showing everyone what I can do and play everyone.”

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it is a fresh challenge and I think this team is good enough to get to finals and really do something special. It’s why I joined Cas: the expectations of the club, of Daryl Powell and all the players here.

January 2021 www.castlefordtigers.com

For the first time in living memory too, rugby league players had the Christmas period off with no traditional Boxing Day match, which made the Christmas Camp even more important. With the on-going Covid-19 pandemic players have not travelled away on holiday as is quite usual in the off-season, but for Niall being at home during the offseason was a good thing.

toes. I’ve had it before competition for places makes you play better and it’s what a team like Castleford needs. You don’t want to get complacent so having that within your team is good and we’re all excited for the challenge of it. It will make us work hard in training too and push us that extra bit.”

By joining Castleford Tigers, Niall Evalds adds a lot of speed and skill to the team but he is also wanting to continue developing himself because of his personal ambitions in both domestic and international rugby.

“My missus is pregnant, so I’ve been looking after her to be honest, she is doing it tough at the minute, so she has had me working around the house.

Other than that, not too much, just keeping myself ticking over fitness wise to be ready to come in.”

When the Tigers met the Red Devils in September, Niall was forced to go off in the closing stages of the game due to a calf injury, but he recovered and featured in Salford’s Wembley side who just lost out to Leeds Rhinos in the Challenge Cup Final. Niall provided ROAR with an update on his fitness.

“I had an issue with my calf at the backend of last year which set me back a little bit, but I’ve worked hard on me prehab and my rehab and that will continue but I am fully fit and doing most of this first session, so I’m feeling fine.”

Every player and coach at Castleford Tigers have their sights set on silverware and winning finals, and in the last two seasons Evalds has featured in both a Challenge Cup Final and a Super League Grand Final. His task now is to do it again with Cas, but this time be on the winning side.

“That is why I’ve come here, like I’ve said it is a fresh challenge and I think this team is good enough to get to finals and really do something special.

It’s why I joined Cas: the expectations of the club, of Daryl Powell and all the players here. It is up to us to meet them standards. It’s exciting as a whole this

new start for me and I’m ready for the season to start! I need to enjoy this preseason as best we can with all the hard work and get ready to play.”

Evalds, who will be proudly sponsored

by Ergo Real Estate in 2021, joins a talented squad and will be part of an impressive all-English spine, and those key players are who he is looking to link up and work his combinations with.

“Paul McShane, Man of Steel, he’s an outstanding player isn’t he, so, I can’t wait to form a relationship with him and any of the spine really. Trueman, Richardson, O’Brien, there are some quality players here and we will build on that over pre-season and come the first game that should be looking pretty fluent.”

“You aim to improve and grow every year, but also every day in training you are trying to make yourself better as a player, it’s what I’ve done throughout my career really and that is no different now. I’ve got aspirations of playing internationally and things like that and it all starts with the hard work put in on the training field every day, and then performing on a weekend. I’m here to improve the team and I’m here to improve myself.”

Over 2,000 Castleford Tigers supporters have signed up for Season Tickets at the time of writing, and whilst we don’t know when the Fords’ faithful will be back in attendance at Wheldon Road, everyone at the club cannot wait to welcome our fans back once again.

Niall knows how intimidating The Jungle can be for opposing teams, now he cannot wait to be on the home side!

The retention of Gareth O’Brien for the Tigers’ 2021 squad adds further competition to not only the halves but also to the fullback spot, and that is exactly what Niall wants.

“There is competition everywhere, that’s what you need, and it keeps you on your

“I’m so excited to play in front of them all, it will be a massively different feeling coming here as a home player than an away one, I think it will be a little bit better than being on the away side! I can’t wait to play in front of the Cas fans here, it’s a special atmosphere on a home game and I hope I do them proud. I will give it everything that I can, everything that’s possible in training and in the games to make the club succeed.”

Welcome to Castleford Tigers, Niall!

www.castlefordtigers.com January 2021

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CASTLEFORD TIGERS SUPPORTERS CLUB

MEET THE STAFF NIGHT! In Mid-December, the Castleford Tigers Supporters Club hosted a virtual “Meet the staff” night online via a Zoom call. The event was chaired by Managing Director Mark Grattan and included representatives from many of the club’s vital day-today departments including accounts, sponsorship, ticketing, media and marketing, welfare, and many more.

As well as being a chance for the hard-working backroom staff at the Tigers to introduce themselves and explain their role in-depth, there was also the opportunity for a Q&A with the staff and for supporters to ask some specific questions and get their answers straight from the heart of the club.

Supporter’s Club Secretary Paul Burns-Williamson was grateful to all staff and the Club for helping to organise this unique insight into their daily operations: “We were very keen to take part and we asked

our members to register interest. Once we had sufficient numbers a Zoom link was sent and the very first Castleford Tigers staff / CTSC members Q&A was underway.

Lots of questions to a large selection of club staff took place and the night ran very smoothly for our first attempt. Feedback from the CTSC members has been very positive.

Many thanks to everyone who took part, special thanks go to Tom Maguire and Matt Holden for setting up the Zoom call. We are looking forward to the next one!”

www.castlefordtigers.com January 2021

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Cas fans were invited to send in their questions for the club in the final edition of Tiger Talk for 2020 Tiger Talk is an exclusive newsletter sent out to supporters in which senior figures within the club answer every off-field and onfield related questions submitted by fans.

Tiger Talk is available to anybody who signs up online and is emailed direct to your inbox.

There is also the option to submit a question to the Cas hierarchy should you wish, although there is no requirement to submit a question in order to receive the responses each time.

Below are a selection of questions from December’s Tiger Talk, along with responses from the Castleford Tigers Managing Director, Mark Grattan: JOANNE HOW MANY SEASON TICKET HOLDERS CHOSE TO DONATE THEIR TICKETS BACK TO THE CLUB? Hello Joanne, it was around 67% who donated back to the club which is fantastic and has allowed us to strengthen the squad for 2021.

CARL WILL THE ONLINE EDITIONS OF ROAR BE MADE AVAILABLE AT SOME POINT IN A REAL HANDSON EDITION? Hello Carl, thanks for the interest in the Roar magazine, once we are allowed decent crowds back we will move back to a physical copy of the magazine but we don’t envisage printing the online editions from this year due to the costs involved.

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January 2021 www.castlefordtigers.com

ALAN THE CAR PARK OPPOSITE THE GROUND BELONGING TO THE SCRAP METAL MAN IS OFTEN CLOSED ON MATCH DAY THESE DAYS. COULD THE CLUB NOT COME TO SOME ARRANGEMENT TO ENSURE THAT IT IS OPEN? Hello Alan, we are aware that the car park is not always open on matchdays and that this causes frustration for fans, once we get crowds back we will speak to them and ask if we can use this as overflow if they don’t open it.

Obviously this is the hands of the owner which means we can’t guarantee they will let us open it.

STEPHEN ARE THERE ANY PLANS TO ALLOW SEASON TICKET HOLDERS TO USE THEIR DISCOUNT WHEN SHOPPING ONLINE. APPRECIATE THIS IS RUN VIA A THIRD PARTY BUT SURELY MEMBERSHIP INFO COULD BE SHARED TO FACILITATE THIS? Thanks for the question Stephen, it is something we have looked at but as is stands at the minute not something we can do, we will keep exploring this with our online partner to see if we can bring this in at a later date.

ROY I WOULD LIKE THIS TO SOUNDS AS POLITE AS I CAN, BUT COULD YOU TELL US, “THE FANS”, HOW INTERESTED IAN FULTON IS IN CASTLEFORD TIGERS AS WE NEVER SEE HIM AT A GAME. I KNOW THIS YEAR HAS BEEN DIFFICULT FOR ALL, IT IS JUST A GENERAL QUESTION. Hello Roy, Ian and his family have a longstanding history with the club, pre-pandemic you would have seen Ian and his sister Janet in the main stand directors box seats at nearly every game. Once we get the all-clear from Covid we will be going back to the CTSC monthly events, one of these is a Meet the Directors night. If you can make it, please come along, I am sure you will see the passion Ian and the rest of the board have for the club.

JOANNE DO YOU HAVE ANY UPDATES ON THE NEW STADIUM? Hello Joanne, we had a brief chat with Axiom during the first lockdown and they are saying they are still committed to the scheme, obviously the retail landscape and economy is constantly changing, once we have a firm update from the developer and council we will update the fans immediately.

NIGEL I HAVE BEEN TRYING TO BUY THE AWAY SHIRT ONLINE AND IT IS SOLD OUT, WILL THE CLUB BE GETTING MORE SHIRTS IN AND ALSO WILL THE CLUB BE USING THIS AS THE HOME SHIRT NOW IT IS SOLD OUT?

Hello Nigel, we started on the 2021 shirts and training range in December 2019 and this was finalised for sign off early March 2020. We normally complete the order at the end of March but due to Covid we moved it back to April ( this is the reason the 2021 range was late coming out this year).

When we ordered in April the country was in lockdown, Furlough was due to end early and a major recession was on the horizon, the club was faced with no income for an indefinite amount of time and like all sports clubs we were really financially on the back foot. With this in mind and to protect the club as best we could financially, we cut the 2021 order of shirts and training range by 50%.

When we order the shirts we order half as many away shirts as home shirts and a quarter as many third shirts as home shirts.

RICHARD I UNDERSTAND THAT THE SKY MONEY WILL BE REDUCED NEXT YEAR, DOES THIS STILL COVER THE SALARY CAP? Hello Richard, thanks for the question. It is a common misconception that the Sky money actually covers the cap. The basic salary cap is £2.1m but if you add NI and pensions to this it takes it to £2.375m. Add in the costs of the coaching staff, medical staff, conditioners, analyst, academy players and coaches and welfare staff it moves the £2.375m to £3m.

Basic Sky distribution to clubs this year was around £144k a month or just over £1.7m a year, this is around £1.3m short of the wages bill for the rugby department and that distribution will reduce down next year by around £250,000 with the Sky rebate.

Both the home and away shirts have been good sellers this year, the away shirt has sold out in a number of sizes and the home shirt is running low or out of a number of sizes now. Had we placed our normal order this year we would still have plenty of stock left. After Christmas we will work with our retail partners so that people can order online any of the out of stock sizes, we will then look to get them delivered as near to the start of the season as possible.

DAVID HOW IS THE CLUB FINANCIALLY? Hello David, thanks for the question. The club is now in decent shape, I believe we are now cash flowed through until the end of 2021, we have been able to take advantage of the government loan and various other business grants which coupled with the incredible support and generosity of our fans and sponsors, has helped secure the club through the sport’s most trying time.

Tiger Talk will be back in 2021, so check the club website for opportunities to pose your question and/or subscribe to see the responses. www.castlefordtigers.com January 2021

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BETFRED

SUPER LEAGUE

50

08 | LIAM WATTS

09 | PAUL MCSHANE

10 | GRANT MILLINGTON

11 | OLIVER HOLMES

12 | MIKE MCMEEKEN

15 | JESSE SENE-LEFAO

16 | GEORGE GRIFFIN

17 | ALEX FOSTER

18 | CHEYSE BLAIR

07 | DANNY RICHARDSON

14 | NATHAN MASSEY

13 | ADAM MILNER

January 2021 www.castlefordtigers.com

06 | JAKE TRUEMAN

05 | SOSAIA FEKI

04 | MICHAEL SHENTON

03 | PETER MATA’UTIA

02 | DERRELL OLPERTS

01 | JORDAN RANKIN

2020

PLAYER SPONSORS

30 | ROBBIE STOREY

28 | BRAD GRAHAM

34 | GARETH O’BRIEN

36 | DAN FLEMING

27 | LEWIS PEACHEY

33 | BAILEY HODGSON

29 | JOE SUMMERS

26 | CALUM TURNER

32 | SAM HALL

35 | JACK SANDERSON

25 | GREG EDEN

31 | BRAD MARTIN

DANNY ORR

24 | TYLA HEPI

23 | MATT COOK

22 | JACQUES O’NEILL

21 | JAMES CLARE

20 | JUNIOR MOORS

19 | DANIEL SMITH

DARYL POWELL RYAN SHERIDAN

www.castlefordtigers.com January 2021

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THANK YOU TO OUR 2021 CLUB PARTNERS