Lee Radford gives Castleford injury update and reveals who might miss the start of the season

It’s that time of the year again: pre-season.

It’s something that coaches love and something that players despise, but it’s a necessary exercise in order to prepare for long season ahead.

For Lee Radford, it’s his first pre-season in charge of Castleford Tigers after taking the reins from seasoned veteran Daryl Powell, and the former Hull FC head coach is already excited by the strength of his squad.

“We put two first teams together and there’s two pretty strong 13s in there for a game, Radford told BBC Radio Leeds.

“Competition looks great but very rarely do you have them all available.

“The evolution of the team is intriguing as a head coach as well as a supporter, but it’s a special environment and it’s a special group of people, I think.”

What many Castleford fans would like to know is just who might they see run out for that first game in early February.

Sosaia Feki, who has played just 25 minutes in two years for the Tigers, has already been confirmed to be around four or five months away, but there is positivity on other fronts.

“Callum McLelland will be there or thereabouts, Jordan Turner will be back.

“Jacques O’Neill will be there or not far off – it means them missing a little bit of pre-season but it is a long old season so we won’t be rushing anyone back.”