Castleford Tigers coach Ryan Carr hails Jason Qareqare deal with 'prime of career' promise
Star winger Jason Qareqare’s long-term deal means he will be a Castleford Tigers player at the prime of his career, coach Ryan Carr says.
As previously reported, the 22-year-old winger has signed a new contract which will keep him at the club until the end of 2029. Speaking at his weekly preview press conference today (Wednesday) ahead of Saturday’s home game against Toulouse Olympique, Carr said Qareqare’s decision to stay has given the entire club a boost.
The Fijian international’s previous terms were due to expire this autumn and he had been strongly linked with Tigers’ Betfred Super league rivals York Knights. Carr insisted: “I’m really happy to get it done.
“I was really confident it was going to happen, it was just a process we had to go through. He has played a lot of footy here at this club and come through here; he is playing his best footy and you don’t want to miss out on him coming into the prime of his career, which is now.”
Assessing what makes Qareqare so special, Carr added: “Speed is invaluable in the game, you can’t coach speed, but also it’s his character. He’s such a great bloke and a really good personality in the group. He has got a good affiliation with the club and it’s good on all levels for us to get him.”
Of whether there were rival bids for Qareqare, Carr admitted: “I believe so, but I was more focused on the conversations with the player himself and not trying to concern myself with what else was going on. He knows the importance and value we have for him here and how much we love him.
“It [the new deal] is a good indication of our culture and group at the moment and the belief that’s starting to build. We've got ways to go, but we are definitely growing in a lot of areas, which is nice.”
Qareqare’s centre Krystian Mapapalangi signed a similar arrangement last month and Carr reckons the partnership will go from strength to strength over the next three seasons. He said: “They train well every week together and they've got some consistency now, which has been pleasing.
“Touch wood, we can keep that consistency going, that always helps. The best combinations on the edges are people who have usually played together for a long time.”
Meanwhile, Carr will name a 21-man for this week’s game tomorrow, but confirmed winger Mikaele Ravalawa won’t feature. “He is still recovering from a knee issue,” the coach said. “It is week to week.”