Muizz Mustapha moves to the Tigers

Castleford Tigers are thrilled to announce the signing of young, powerful prop forward Muizz Mustapha on a one-year contract with an option for a further year in the club’s favour.

All Tigers recruitment news is proudly brought to you and sponsored by the club’s official recruitment partner ORB Recruitment.

Muizz Mustapha joins the Tigers from Leeds Rhinos where he played on nine occasions for the First Team, scoring his first memorable Super League try earlier this year against Wigan. The Nigerian-born forward played his amateur rugby at Hunslet Warriors before joining the Rhinos’ ranks, where he would go on to represent both Yorkshire and England at Academy level.

The 22-year-old has also spent time on loan in the Championship and League One to enhance his development with spells at Featherstone Rovers, Newcastle Thunder, Dewsbury Rams, Hull KR and most recently at Bradford Bulls during the 2022 season.

Mustapha now joins Castleford Tigers looking to take the next steps in his rugby league career, and the young powerhouse cannot wait to get started at Wheldon Road and wants to hit the ground running.

“I’m very excited! It’s a new chapter and I can’t wait to see what the future holds. I've been at Leeds since I was a kid so it’s a whole new environment,” Mustapha said to castlefordtigers.com.

There are a few familiar and friendly faces for Muizz at the Fords when pre-season starts for all on November 14th, so he expects to fit in well very quickly.

“I know Sutty (Alex Sutcliffe), Mellor (Alex Mellor), Cal (Callum McLelland) and Brad Martin, I came through the Scholarship with Brad actually, so there's quite a few that I already know.

“When I spoke to Radders (Lee Radford) he told me about the plans and how the club is looking forward to the future. Everyone else I’ve met so far too has been great, genuine lads.”

At just 22, Muizz is enthusiastic to keep learning as a player and earn more top-flight match minutes, so being coached by a man who was an imposing forward in his own playing days is an exciting prospect.

“Radders was a middle, and I’m certain he will help me improve my game. I’ve heard great things about Andy Last too, he’s a very good coach and I’m looking forward to learning from them both.

“I want to play as many games as I can. I think over the last few years I’ve struggled to cement my place in the First Team and have a good run of games, I want to be playing every week and get some good experience under my belt.”

Whilst Muizz has come to The Mend-A-Hose Jungle for matches, he has yet to experience our atmosphere on a Super League game day in the centre of the field, and so he is incredibly excited to walk out at Wheldon Road for the first time.

“I’ve only played for Yorkshire against Australia at The Jungle, but with the crowd that close to you, I know it will be an intimidating ground, so I’m glad that the fans will be with me and not against me!

“I’m looking forward to putting the shirt on and making the Cas fans proud.”

Castleford Tigers Head Coach Lee Radford is pleased to have recruited a young player that is eager to learn and declares how good of an addition he will be to our pack.

“I really like how Muizz plays, his leg speed, his defence, his line speed is fantastic, and he is a different shape to a lot of front rowers kicking around in the competition,” Radford told castlefordtigers.com.

“There is a niche for what he does, a tidy-up man in and around the ruck, the type of player who will get the best out of someone like Sui (Suaia Matagi) and vice versa. We are hoping in bringing him to our club we can develop him into becoming the player we know he can be within.”

Castleford Tigers fans can see Muizz Mustapha along with fellow 2023 recruit Albert Vete in First Team action by signing up for a 2023 Membership!

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