Morgy: When we do get back we’ll do great

This has been taken from the May edition of Castleford Tigers' monthly magazine ROAR which you can read for free at castlefordtigers.com/roar

Hi Cas fans!

Hope you’re all safe and sound, me and Brenda have got a big garden and we sit outside a lot, but the thing is the boredom without rugby. I’ve had rugby in my life since I was five years old and so it feels weird now that it’s stopped.

I remember a season suspension back in 1963, this is before I was playing in the Under-17’s at Fev, and it was all one league then and the weather were that bad that all the games were cancelled and all of December, January and February was off. It wasn’t until 2nd of March when it got playing again and back in the day Leeds had underground heating and they had home games played, but all the others cancelled.

Then Cas and Widnes tried to put Bunsen burners on the pitches to ease it up but they ended up making a right shocker of it and ruined them, but they got the odd game on here or there. Not until that March 2nd when it had come back, and they had to play three games a week because they had to get Wembley in as well with the Challenge Cup. I know it’s a different game and all that now, but they played and got the pitches done and they got Wembley done and that was unbelievable how they played.

Wigan in the early 90s had to play eight matches in 19 days to finish off a season and they won seven of them to clinch the league title, Ellery Hanley was captain and wanted to play in every single game. So, whilst none of this is ideal the delayed fixtures could be doable as they have been in the past, I hope they are.

We set off like a house on fire this year with five wins out of seven which is excellent, hardest thing at the start of the season for the new lads coming in is to just get settled. You have all pre-season and training and that but there’s nowt like playing games and getting knocks, getting stuck in, to get to know your new teammates. That’s the disappointing thing because I was thinking we carry on and was looking at the fixture list thinking; “win that, win that, win that” because we look a good side. We’ve got plenty of options and you can’t beat competition for places to get back in the side.

Now we’ve got to wait for what the Government do and decide but looking after people’s health comes first and it’s a shame that sport has to take a hit. It’s just a pity that it’s come at the wrong time for Cas but I think when we do get back we’ll do great.

Stay safe and all the best!

Morgy