Tigers sign Scholarship recruits for 2022/23

Castleford Tigers are delighted to welcome eighteen new players to the club’s Scholarship programme for 2022/23!

The Fords’ newest intake of young talent will officially begin their development at Wheldon Road as our Under 15s from August 1st with a view to commencing field training in September.

As part of the #NewCasEra, Head of Youth Development Rob Nickolay alongside First Team Head Coach Lee Radford have put an increased emphasis on developing players through our club’s pathways. With the long-term goals of having both the best and local talent coming through the Tigers ranks to become regular Super League players for Castleford.

Our club has had a long and proud tradition of developing players in our youth system and making them into future First Team talent. In recent years the Tigers have seen graduates such as Jason Qareqare, Cain Robb and Sam Hall make their Super League debuts.

Furthermore, within the 2022 First Team, there are sixteen products of the Fords’ youth programme, including #ONECLUB men Adam Milner & Nathan Massey, as well as top-flight stalwarts such as Liam Watts, Joe Westerman, and Greg Eden.

Commenting on the Fords’ new intake of Scholarship players, Nickolay told castlefordtigers.com: “We are thrilled to welcome a really strong group of young players to the Tigers, we are quite proud of our recruitment process and that these lads have chosen to join Castleford after quite a lot of competition from other clubs as well.

“There is a mix of community clubs represented and we are really proud to work with them, it is recognition of the work that those clubs have done up to this point, and they can celebrate their players gaining a Scholarship place with us.

“There is some exciting talent which we hope will be gracing the First Team in the years to come.

“I would like to say a big thank you to our Head of Talent ID Steve Copley, and Player Performance Manager Matty Faulkner for all their hard work in recruiting our newest Scholars.”

Eight players joining Castleford’s Scholarship programme join the club from community club Hull Dockers, who this weekend will be taking on Siddal in the Under 14’s BARLA Youth National Cup.

“We’re pleased to have attracted and fought off competition for these players who it is evident have talent being in a Cup Final. We are excited to see how they go this week, and we wish them all the very best of luck.”

On Thursday, 23rd June, the Tigers were pleased to welcome the families, friends, and coaches of our newest Scholarship players for a Signing Night where they got their first photos as Castleford players and as a squad taken, as well as officially signing their contracts alongside Lee Radford.

In closing, Nickolay outlined the importance of youth development at the Scholarship level and how key it will be in our goal to get more young players to become regular First Team players at The Mend-A-Hose Jungle.

“For me the Scholarship is vital, it is really where we get to set our standards and our ethos as a club. This intake is really what we feel is the start of that new era, we have recruited these players and hopefully, their journey over the next four or five years will see them knocking on the door of the First Team.”

Congratulations and welcome to Castleford Tigers our 2022/23 Scholarship recruits, who are listed below alongside the community club where they join us from.

• Callum Barley - Hull Dockers
• Harris Chapman - Hull Dockers
• Connor Dale - Kippax Welfare
• Jay Dawson - Hull Dockers
• Tyler Eccles - Hull Dockers
• Jack Egley - Lock Lane
• Rhys Firth - Kippax Welfare
• William Gardner - Stanningley
• Kane Harrison - Hull Dockers
• Frankie Jackson-Bedford - Lock Lane
• Cameron Longstaff - Kippax Welfare
• Zach McGowan - Hull Dockers
• Jayden Pollitt - Lock Lane
• Tylor Sharpe - Castleford Panthers
• Kaden Smith - Brotherton Bulldogs
• Archie Storr - Kippax Welfare
• Sonny Wall - Hull Dockers
• James Wilson - Hull Dockers

You could sponsor one of our Scholarship players and support Castleford Tigers Foundation at the same time! Email michael@castigers.com to enquire.