Castleford Tigers are set for their first pre-season friendly and therefore the first game of Craig Lingard’s tenure as head coach, the club naming six new signings to face Keighley Cougars.
The game against the Cougars takes place on Sunday at Keighley and will serve as former Castleford centre Jake Webster’s testimonial match, Webster currently being a player coach at the Cougars.
It was a game that had been scheduled for last January as part of each side’s 2023 pre-season however the game was abandoned on account of bad weather which had made travel impossible.
Castleford have had an off-season of change with the appointment of former Batley Bulldogs coach Craig Lingard as their new boss, whilst Hull KR assistant Danny McGuire has also joined the project at Wheldon Road.
More exciting news came for Cas when Castleford-born businessman Martin Jepson invested a “significant” sum into the club, reported to be seven figures.
That’s seen a bout of positivity at the club whilst they’ve also made some astute signings in an attempt to strengthen their squad, whilst also bringing the average age down of what was Super League’s oldest side in 2023.
Among those new signings are Leeds Rhinos full-back Luke Hooley, whom Lingard coached at Batley Bulldogs, ex-Hull KR duo Luis Johnson and Rowan Milnes as well as PNG international Nixon Putt.
All of those men as well as Josh Simm and Innes Senior are potentially set to debut having been named in Lingard’s 20-man squad to make the short trip across to Keighley.
It will also be the first time that the Tigers play since confirming their newly appointed co-captains Paul McShane and Joe Westerman, something Lingard confirmed yesterday.
The club confirmed their squad via their website whilst Keighley have also confirmed their squad, featuring Webster of course for what will be his final game.
Given that it will be the last game of his career Webster has been granted the number three shirt that he donned for much of his career, seeing Adam Ryder move to shirt number 32 for the game.
Castleford’s 20-man squad can be seen below
Jack Broadbent
George Griffin
Sam Hall
Josh Hodson
Luke Hooley
Liam Horne
Luis Johnson
George Lawler
Paul McShane
Alex Mellor
Jacob Miller
Rowan Milnes
Muizz Mustapha
Nixon Putt
Jason Qareqare
Innes Senior
Josh Simm
Charbel Tasipale
Liam Watts
Joe Westerman
