Castleford Tigers news: new signing considered after star suffers long-term injury setback
Castleford Tigers could be forced into the transfer market after losing a key player to long-term injury.
Coach Danny McGuire today (Thursday) revealed second-rower Jeremiah Simbiken will be out of action for at least 12 weeks - and potentially longer - after damaging a knee during last week’s win at Huddersfield Giants. “I think it is going to be a lengthy one,” McGuire said at his weekly preview press conference ahead of Sunday’s Magic Weekend derby against Wakefield Trinity in Newcastle. “He is having an operation in a couple of weeks and then we’ll probably have to reassess it from that, but 12 weeks, best case scenario, is what I am being told.”
The damage was done in freak fashion, the coach reported. “It was nothing,” he said. “He was trying to get back onside and someone has fallen over and kind of just fallen on to him. He wasn’t carrying the ball or making a tackle, so it’s really unfortunate.”
Tigers have been busy in recent weeks, bringing in prop Tom Amone for the rest of this season and hooker/half-back Chris Atkin - who could make his debut at Magic Weekend - until the end of 2026, as well as forwards Jordan Dazeria and Hugo Salabrio on loan. McGuire said they had “24 or 25” players training today, but lack of cover for Simbiken is a worry.
“It’s not a position where we are blessed with numbers,” McGuire admitted. “Mels [Alex Mellor] is probably our only out and out back-rower in the squad now so it’s potentially something we might have to have a look at.
“We will just have to wait and see. We have got people who can fill in that position - George Lawler can do it really comfortably and really well, Joe Westerman can play there and we’ve got a few other people who could maybe slide in there. But I don’t think we can go the rest of the season without an out and out back-rower if Jez ends up being long-term. We’ll have to see if that [a signing] is possible; we’ll play it as we go over the next week or so.”