'Has great experience': why Castleford Tigers have signed Papua New Guinea ace Jeremiah Simbiken
Castleford Tigers have announced the signing of Papua New Guinea international forward Jeremiah Simbiken.
The 24-year-old scored 10 tries from 23 appearances as a second-rower for Brisbane-based North Devils last season, when they were crowned Queensland Cup champions and went on to win the State Championship. He has also featured for Redcliffe Dolphins in the same competition and will link up with PNG teammates Sylvester Namo, Liam Horne and Judah Rimbu at the Jungle.
Tigers’ director of rugby Danny Wilson said: “We have been tracking Jeremiah for a while. Danny McGuire [Castleford’s coach] wanted to bring in an exciting second-rower, he is a fan of his game and so we like what he brings to our side - tries and tackles.
“His tackle percentage rate was mid-90 per cent last season. He has great experience [and] it helps that he knows some of our lads already, so we look forward to getting him into camp, getting him up to speed with the new coaching approach we have in place and getting the best out of him in a Cas shirt.”