Turner to leave Tigers at the end of 2023

Castleford Tigers can confirm that Jordan Turner will be leaving the Fords at the end of the 2023 Betfred Super League campaign.

Turner began his career with the Salford Red Devils before representing, Hull FC, St Helens, Canberra Raiders, and Huddersfield Giants before making the move to the Tigers ahead of the 2021 season.

The 34-year-old’s first season at The Jungle was one to remember as Turner played a vital role in the club reaching the Challenge Cup final that year. Turner took Cas’ third-round tie against Hull KR to golden point by finishing a stunning team move after the buzzer in a fixture the Fords were eventually victorious in after 99 minutes of play.

His influence would continue into the later rounds as in the semi-final against Warrington Wolves, he would go on to score an unforgettable hat-trick at Leigh Sports Village to seal Cas’ spot at Wembley.

Another proud moment for Jordan during his time with the club came when The Jungle hosted his testimonial match where he walked out with his sons ahead of making his international debut for Jamaica.

Over his three seasons at Wheldon Road, Turner has represented the Fords on 45 occasions to date, scoring 20 times.

Talking to castlefordtigers.com about the news, Jordan began by outlining that he has experienced some of the best moments of his career during his stint with the Tigers.

“2021 wasn’t just one of my favourite years of my career but one of my favourite years of my life. Before coming here, I wasn’t quite sure what I was doing then going on to have the year we had with the Challenge Cup final will always be special to me. 

“The last two years have been a bit up and down for me really, but I think Castleford will always be a club that I am fond of and I’ll always want the club to do well. I want to wish everyone involved the best for the future.”

Turner first linked up with Cas on a one-year deal but his exploits during his first season, where he scored 17 tries, earned him a longer stay at Wheldon Road.

Touching on this, the back explained that he will always be thankful for the opportunity that the club gave him as well as adding his admiration for the support the Fords faithful have shown him over the years.

“I came here on a one-year deal initially expecting to just come and make the team a bit stronger if I could, but I ended up being a pivotal player. That would probably be the highlight for me from going from a place where people were righting me off to having that year as a whole was special.  

“The Cas fans are some of the most passionate in Super League and they have always been good to me. I hope the club goes on to good things for those fans because I know it means everything to them for Cas to do well.

“I’ll always be grateful to those fans and my time here.”

Turner returned from injury to start in Castleford’s recent victory over Wakefield and he added that he is determined to finish his Tigers career as strongly as he can.

“I went from being out with an injury not knowing if I’d play again this year to coming straight back into the team for the Wakefield game. My aim for these last five games is to give my all and help the club finish as strong as we can this season.”

Jordan’s next move will be a nostalgic one as he will join his hometown club Oldham RLFC where he will take on the role of player-coach.

When discussing his future endeavours, Turner put forward that he is looking forward to representing the team with whom he grew up just a stone's through away from.

“I have played a lot of games in my career, so my next move had to be something that meant something to me. I never thought I’d have the opportunity to play at Oldham, but I’m pleased to be able to jump on board. I was born 500 metres from Boundary Park and grew up around the corner so it will be a surreal experience for me.”

Tigers Director of Rugby Operations Danny Wilson has known Turner for several years from his time with Hull FC and he wanted to add his thanks to Jordan for his service.

“He’s a great servant to the game. I first came across Jordan when he was a young lad at Hull, and it’s been great to come back and see how he has operated as a professional in his senior years. He’s been a great attribute to this team. He had a great year in his first year here and he’s moving on to the next stage in his career now. He’s got a lot of knowledge to pass on and he’s a leader so he will take that into his next role.”

Everyone at Castleford Tigers would like to thank Jordan for his efforts to date and wish him the best for the future.