Rugby league agent believes Castleford Tigers star won’t play again in 2022

Castleford Tigers have been hit with injuries in 2022 right from the very start of the season.

The likes of Danny Richardson, Sosaia Feki and Jordan Turner have all spent massive amounts of time on the sideline, but one new signing has not even been seen in 2022 so far.

Halfback Callum McLelland joined from Leeds Rhinos ahead of the 2022 Super League season, but suffered an injury whilst playing for the Headingley outfit towards the back end of 2021.

Since then, the former Scotland rugby union star has been part of an intense rehab schedule in a bid to get back to full fitness and get on the field for Castleford.

However, for his agent – Craig Harrison of Show Me The Money UK – he believes that McLelland will not play again this year because he feels that the Tigers and head coach Lee Radford will want to make sure he is right and ready to go for 2023.

“We all want Callum to play,” Harrison told The Full Eighty Minutes podcast.

“I think Callum has about four weeks left of his rehab, but he is running again and nearly at full tune.

“I don’t know if they will risk him this year – I don’t know if they will just get him fit and play a couple of reserve games and start again in pre-season for next year.”

Harrison also believes that McLelland will be given a training plan to go straight into pre-season at the culmination of this season’s end.

“I think that will be the plan, but I don’t think Callum will go on holiday in October and will be training straight through,” Harrison said.

McLelland came through the ranks at Castleford as a teenager before making the move to Scotland rugby union.

The halfback didn’t last too long in the 15-a-side code and returned to league with Leeds where he found opportunities few and far between.