Gareth Widdop reveals why he joined Castleford Tigers as James Graham makes bold statement about Lee Radford’s side

After three years at Warrington Wolves former NRL star Gareth Widdop is headed to the Castleford Tigers in 2023.

It is something of a homecoming for Widdop who was born in Yorkshire but made his name in Australia first with the Melbourne Storm and then with St George Illawarra Dragons alongside some impressive performances for England even helping them to the 2017 World Cup Final.

A player with real pedigree, Widdop is a major signing for the club and helps replace Hull FC bound Jake Trueman in 2023.

After some up and down years at Warrington, he will want to make a statement at the Jungle.

But what tempted him to the Tigers for next season where he will link up with Jacob Miller?

Well, he has revealed why he joined the Tigers on James Graham’s podcast The Bye Round.

He said: “It was a big decision moving forward. I spoke to Lee Radford a couple of times and Andy Last who is there now.

“It is a really great club and they seem like great coaches. I went for a coffee with them and I instantly had a great connection with them, making me laugh and it was a really enjoyable place to be.”

Meanwhile Graham himself, a former teammate of Widdop’s for England and St George, believes Widdop could be the key to unlocking Castleford’s potential: “I think Cas have a huge amount of potential and a classy halfback like you will go a long way to allowing them to realise that potential.”