Derrell Olpherts may be about to start a new chapter of his Super League career with Leeds Rhinos in 2023, but he is a household name because of his time at Castleford Tigers.
He joined the club ahead of 2020 and would go on to help them to a Challenge Cup Final in 2021 and score tries for fun in the black and amber of the West Yorkshire side.
Olpherts left Salford Red Devils to take up the chance with the Tigers and speaking exclusively to Serious About Rugby League, Olpherts revealed why he joined the Tigers despite “interest from other clubs.”
He said: “I had some interest from other clubs and Cas were one of them being from Wakefield they’re a club I’ve known all my life and I met Daryl Powell and it just felt right and I was just happy to sign at Castleford Tigers and the years I’ve had I wouldn’t knock it, they’ve been three great years.”
In terms of reflecting on his time there, he said: “I couldn’t have signed for a better club to get game time and develop my game more.”
Now though, he is headed to Leeds and said that Rohan Smith didn’t have to sell the club to him:
“He didn’t have to sell it too hard, Leeds Rhinos sells itself really, I think it was just the fact that he tried to get me when I was in League 1 so he had seen my potential back then and he can see more potential in me now and that’s what I want.
“I want to see if I can develop into a different kind of player and a better player than I am now.”
