Castleford Tigers captain Sam Wood has explained his surprise at the role and revealed which Super League greats will shape his leadership style.
Wood will head up a two-tier leadership group comprising a senior group of George Griffin, Liam Watts and Joe Westerman and an emerging group that features his vice-captains Alex Mellor and George Lawler.
It marks a change in the system at Castleford Tigers with the club having co-captains in Joe Westerman and the recently departed Paul McShane in 2024, however, the change is one of many under new head coach Danny McGuire.
Wood has revealed that he was ‘quite surprised’ at landing the role with the centre in just his second year with the club, however, he outlined his time with Danny McGuire at Hull KR as having shaped the ex-Leeds Rhinos man’s opinion of him.
“My family seem to think that it’s a massive thing but it’s not sunk in quite yet,” the 27-year-old told West Yorkshire Sport Daily.
On McGuire, he said: “I’ve worked with him for maybe four years, including my time at Hull KR, so I think he’s probably got a good read on my personality and my character.
“I was quite surprised to get the captaincy and I was pretty lost for words because it’s a big responsibility – I know what the town of Castleford represents and every time I take to that field, I’ll be representing not only the team but the town as well.
“It’s a huge honour and I’m ready to take on any challenges thrown at me.”
Castleford Tigers man reveals which Super League legend will shape his captaincy
Credit: John Clifton/SWpix.com
Wood only made 16 appearances for the Tigers in 2024 with his maiden campaign at The Jungle cut short thanks to a shoulder injury on international duty.
Despite that, he clearly made quite the impression as he recalled that his leadership developed during the season after being asked what his leadership style would be like.
Wood explained: “I’ll speak when I need to and when I speak, I expect to be listened to. Nothing really changes for me, I fell into more of a leadership role last year in terms of actions on the field.”
He was also asked which previous captains might shape his own style of leadership and that saw him pay homage to some Super League greats, including one who he will line up against in 2025.
“Leroy Cudjoe at Huddersfield was a massive leader in my opinion,” Wood recalled, adding: “He was a real leader through actions and performing on the field and at training as well.
“Michael Lawrence and Jermaine McGillvary at Huddersfield were massive leaders in that aspect.”
Former Hull KR captain turned academy coach Shaun Kenny-Dowall also got a mention with Wood noting: “In my two years at Hull KR, I probably couldn’t have played under a better captain. The mentorship that I got from him was unbelievable really.
“If I can do anything close to those guys then I’ll be happy with myself.
“I just want to be approachable for everyone. No matter whether you’re a 16 or 17-year-old kid coming through or a 35-year-old bloke coming to the end. I want to make sure I’m there for everyone.”
Despite playing just 16 games, Wood was one of the standout performers for Castleford Tigers and when asked to reflect on the season from a personal point he assessed it as such.
“Personally, I thought it was a success but the shoulder injury cut it short. I reached some goals that I never thought I’d reach within half a season of being at a new side,” he exclaimed.
“I missed some goals though. I want to get a full season under my belt, be competitive and reach those play-offs as well.”
