Castleford Tigers release international forward as Super League move immediately confirmed

Castleford Tigers have announced that hooker Liam Horne will leave the club, and he will now join a new Super League outfit ahead of 2026.

The PNG international, who can also play loose forward, is yet another player to exit the Onebore stadium, despite being contracted there until the end of next year.

In the past month, the both Sam Wood and Innes Senior have had their contracts cut short, with those two finding opportunities elsewhere ahead of the upcoming campaign.

Horne, who joined the Tigers part-way through 2023, and made 51 appearances for the West Yorkshire side. His 2025 season was halted when he copped a six-match ban in June, limiting him to 19 games over the current campaign.

Now, he will link up with many former club colleagues and current international teammates, after joining Leigh Leopards on a three-year deal.

Leigh Leopards sign former Castleford Tigers man as fifth recruit joins

The 27-year-old is in line to make yet another PNG appearance this week, and will now do so with three of his new teammates. Lachlan Lam, Edwin Ipape and fellow new addition Jacob Alick-Wiencke are all named in Jason Demetriou’s side to face the Cook Islands over the weekend.

It is the second Leopards signing to be confirmed this week, with the club also confirming a three-year deal for Canberra Raiders half-back Adam Cook.

Labelled “the ultimate competitor” by coach Adrian Lam, his new boss was full of praise for Horne after commenting on his new signing.

“I’ve watched Liam since his playing days with Norths Devils in Queensland Cup and I like the way he plays,” said Lam. “He’s very aggressive, very physical and he’s a player I think will fit straight into our squad.

“[He] is the ultimate competitor and can play a number of positions. I strongly believe we can accelerate his game to another level and have a significant influence on the way he develops.

“Liam was born in Port Moresby and has played with Castleford for the past couple of years. Being a fan of his I saw it as a great opportunity to bring him to our club and strengthen our squad. He can play 9 or 13 and will be integral to our success in the future.”

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