Former Leeds Rhinos and Castleford Tigers forward named Newcastle Thunder captain

The Championship has seen huge amounts of turnover prior to the season start and Newcastle Thunder have taken it to the extreme with 15 new recruits and a new head coach in Chris Thorman.

With that huge squad turnover it creates a huge task of uniting over a dozen new faces and creating a winning culture.

The man who will undertake that role is former Leeds and Castleford man Alex Foster, with Thunder confirming the 29-year-old as captain today.

He was one of just a few Thunder players that remained on from 2022 and as such boss Chris Thorman has given him the honour of leading the side out.

Thunder announced the news via their website and social media as well, where Foster made comments on the new role.

“It’s a massive privilege to be able to lead this set of lads and I’m honoured to represent this city and club,” Foster expressed.

“I’m very thankful to Chris and the coaching staff for putting me forward. I’ve got a good group of lads behind me to make my job a lot easier, so I’m looking forward to the challenge ahead.

“We’re a really close group this year and I think the key to this campaign is stripping everything back and getting the basics right to build some consistency.

“Part of that is having your mates back and supporting them throughout and being as professional as possible.

“There’s been some good craic in pre-season. The new lads coming in have certainly added a lot and it’s been a really fun place to be around.

“I’m looking forward to seeing where we can go as a group.”

Just a few of the new lads in question sees World Cup stars Robert Tuliatu of Greece, Curtis Davies of Wales and Alex Young of Jamaica take up their rugby on Tyneside.

New boss Chris Thorman also added: “In an inexperienced squad, Alex is probably the most experienced player in the squad. He’s certainly played at the highest level.

“He’s a captain who will definitely lead by his actions and lead by example. He’s a model professional and the longer I’ve got to know him and the longer I’ve got to work with him, he was the obvious choice.

“He’s had a bit of bad luck at the start of pre-season with injuries, but he’s done all the work to get back to the level we need, and I think a fit Alex Foster is only going to make any side in the championship a better side.

“I have opened dialogue with the squad about where I want the team to go in terms of on the field and off the field and Alex has really bought into that.

“He doesn’t talk a lot, but he’s definitely respected within the group and when he does have something to say, he gets the lads’ full attention.

“Having the conversation with him, you could see he was excited about it so I’m looking forward to see how he can lead the lads going forward.”

Thunder kick off their 2023 campaign this weekend when they visit promoted side Swinton Lions on the road in a 3pm Sunday match-up.