Not injured, not dropped – Why Super League star is surprisingly absent for huge game

Gareth Widdop has again found himself left out of the Castleford Tigers squad as they get ready to take on Hull KR.

This is because Widdop is still battling illness.

Widdop picked up the illness when Castleford lost to Catalans Dragons in Round Seven. He returned last week but is still struggling with the illness as newly appointed permanent Castleford Head Coach confirmed speaking on BBC Radio Leeds:

“Gareth Widdop isn’t in the 21. The illness which obviously he had a couple of weeks ago hasn’t cleared up as well as we thought, he was a little bit low on energy last week.

“We thought he was going to be okay but felt quite fatigued which has impacted his performance, he felt he probably needed to gain a little more weight to be close to functioning near his best.

“We’ve made the decision to stand him down to get on top of his weight and get his strength markers back up to where they need to be.

“That gives us the opportunity to get Jack Broadbent back into that position where he was so successful for us. It’s a change but it’s a good one because Jack’s excelled in that position, it gets him one pass closer to the ball and he’s that run threat too.”

Meanwhile new signings Will Tate and Luis Johnson could play against former club Hull KR.

On Tate, he said: “He’s someone we brought in a couple of weeks back and he’s played a full game against Hull KR reserves on Saturday and did a good job. He’s athletic, a really good lad in terms of professionalism, very diligent in preparation and he’s got some offensive strike.

“He’s quick, carries the ball well and is the type who can make a difference in the game. He could potentially be making his debut.

Whilst on Johnson, Last added: “I read a report Willie said it’s okay if he plays against them, he’s obviously a Castleford Tigers’ player. They’ll know his strength and his weaknesses but if he faces his parent club he’ll want to show them what he’s about. “