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Jason Qareqare talks about his electric start to life as a Super League player and his aims going forward with Castleford Tigers.

This feature was originally taken from our official monthly club magazine, ROAR, and has now been updated.

It was one of the most memorable moments of the 2021 Super League season when a then 17-year-old debutant set the stage alight by stepping Hull FC’s Jake Connor to score his first ever senior try in the opening minute of the game to the delight of a rapturous home crowd.

Cas fans were over the moon to see Jason put pen to paper on his first professional contract which will see him stay at the Club until at least the 2024 season.

Since that announcement, the winger has gone from strength to strength by scoring seven tries in 2022 so far, and has been named in Fiji’s initial training squad for the upcoming Rugby League World Cup at the end of the year!

Jason spoke to ROAR about the period which saw him feature on a number of occasions following the Easter schedule.

“It was a really good month or so for me. I’ve been happy with how my performances have been going recently because I think I scored six tries in four games which I am really ecstatic about.

“Moving forward, hopefully I can keep playing well week in, week out and getting the opportunity to play more. Being in the starting line up has been a really big confidence boost. Having the trust from Radders, I just want to play well for him and the Club.

“I am taking in every moment I can get on the field because it’s not every week that you are guaranteed to start because we have some class wingers here. I’ve been in and around the First Team setup for almost a year now and I have enjoyed every single moment of it.

“Playing and training with the people who you have watched on TV growing up is just a dream come true.”

Receiving your first-ever professional contract is always a special feeling as a player but for Jason, signing a deal at the Club who he has represented through the Scholarship and Academy system, makes the moment all the more distinct.

“I’ve been working hard for that moment ever since I was younger. I have grown up always wanting to play rugby so to be able to have two more years at Cas is really good.

“My family were all really proud of me for signing my first professional contract and they are so happy that I am at Cas. They have always supported me and backed me from when I first started playing the sport which I am always grateful for.

“With me being in and around the Cas system since I was in Scholarship it makes it even more special. I have always felt a part of Cas since I was playing for my community club Kippax Welfare because we had the likes of Luke Gale and Michael Shenton come down to help with sessions.

“I am just really thankful for the opportunity that they have given me.”

The young winger made his first appearance of the 2022 campaign as a substitute during the home victory over Leeds Rhinos in April, however, it was in his second run out of the season where he really made an impact.

It was against St Helens where Jason marked his first start of the season with a trademark early score as he burst away from four Saints defenders to open the scoring and he talked through what was going through his head during that remarkable effort.

“I got the ball from Mahe and you can see on the video that he just told me to keep running and that’s what I did. I backed myself to get there because in the big games you have to back yourself but I still don’t know how I managed to do it.

“It was a really overwhelming moment when I scored!”

Coming into a First Team environment can be daunting for any young player, although Qareqare indicates that it has been a smooth transition for him due to the help of the senior players in the dressing room and the coaching staff.

“With me being a winger, I have always looked up to Greg Eden. He’s a class finisher and he has been doing it consistently for over so many seasons. He’s been one of the senior players who has helped me and coached me in how to play the game and what it takes to be one of the best wingers in the competition.

“All the players around the dressing room are a help because they have experiences on and off the field and they all have helped me with things like how to deal with nerves before a game. They have all been great in settling me into the squad, so I am really thankful for that.

“Lee has been really good with me, and I can’t thank him enough for the opportunities he has given me this year. The likes of Danny Wilson and Andy Last have also been a big influence and they have been helping me throughout pre-season.

“They have even been staying behind after sessions to go through different things and I think that without them I wouldn’t be where I am today.”

Facing some of the biggest names in the game is something that the Tigers’ star has taken on with the exuberance of youth, as was displayed by racing away from Connor on his debut.

Qareqare put forward that he uses the experience of coming up against senior pros as a yardstick for his development, by saying: “It’s good for me to test myself against players who are at the top level in Super League. For me playing against these players it makes me aware of where I am and where I want to be as a player.

“Facing these players is great but it is more of a reflective thing for me to be able to look at my performances and what I can do to improve.”

With his future now sorted for the next two years, it gives Jason the opportunity to look to a bright future with the Fords and the outside back outlined what he would like his next couple of seasons to look like on the pitch.

“It all still hasn’t really sunk in yet. I just see myself as a kid trying to do his best. I am still growing and learning the game, so I am just taking every match as it comes.

“Starting matches is the ultimate goal but I just want to keep progressing and to get more experience in and around the First Team. I want to keep playing for the Club and for the crest. It’s such an awesome atmosphere down at the ground and the crowd being behind you after you score is a real boost.”

It is clear to see how much representing the Tigers means to Jason, with the passion etched across his face and the patting of the Club crest after every try is something that the Cas Army adore seeing.

In closing, Qareqare displayed just how motivated he is to achieve great things with Castleford Tigers.

“I love playing for the badge and to sort of prove people wrong because when I was 15, I was one of the last people to receive a scholarship. I want to prove to myself, my family, and my friends that I deserve to be where I am.

“I am driven to do anything for the good of this Club and I am sure that the Club will get the best out of me. I never imagined playing Super League at just 18 years old. I was just a young boy playing at Kippax a couple of years ago and now I am playing the sport I love for a living, it’s brilliant.”