Callum McLelland reveals why he left Leeds Rhinos to rejoin Super League rivals Castleford Tigers

The Lock Lane product, now 22, joined Tigers’ youth system at 14 and rose through their scholarship and academy ranks before switching codes five years ago to play rugby union in Scotland.

He returned to league with Leeds in 2019 and made 16 appearances in three years, but returned to Tigers when his contract expired at the end of last season.

“I did have an option to stay at Leeds,” McLelland confirmed.

“I based it on where I felt was best for me and after the year I had, I felt like I needed a fresh start.

“I heavily considered it [staying at Leeds], but I thought this was the better option for me.

“I am loving it, it’s a stone’s throw away from where I grew up and there’s no travelling or anything like that now.

“It [moving away] was the right thing to do at the time, [but] it felt second nature coming back and some of the players are still here from when I was last here in 2017. I don’t regret anything.”

McLelland - who is on a two-year deal, with an option to double that - will miss the start of the season as he recovers from a ruptured patella tendon suffered playing for Leeds at Wakefield last August.

He said: “Matty [Crowther] is here as physio, I’ve been getting along really well with him and it’s coming along nicely.

“I’m back running on the AlterG -[anti-gravity treadmill] and I’ll be progressively building up my running for a couple of months and then back into training.”

McLelland had ankle surgery at the end of 2020, then suffered a groin problem in pre-season and was sidelined until July.

Concussion and illness prevented him getting a run of games before the knee damage ended his campaign.

“It has been mentally tough, especially after the unlucky year I had with injuries,” he said of his latest recovery.

“I played five games and had three operations and that one [the knee] was a major operation.

“It was unfortunate to end the year and my Leeds career the way I did, but I can’t change anything and I’ve just got to crack on with it now.”

McLelland described the past 12 months as “frustrating”.

He said: “I’ve not had consistent game time in years now, since I played [on dual-registration] at Featherstone.

“That has been the most frustrating thing - injuries are part and parcel of it, but I want to be out on the field as much as possible.

“Hopefully it’s the end of it now. I feel like we have got a really strong team here who are really supportive, so if I do get a chance to play some consistent rugby and get some consistent game time, then it’s down to me and hopefully I can impress.”

Once fit, McLelland will be battling with Jake Trueman, Danny Richardson and Gareth O’Brien for a place in Tigers’ halves.

But he insisted: “It’s a given with any club - if there’s healthy competition that’s good, it will bring the best out of me, Truey, Danny and Gaz.

“I want to drive standards throughout the team and hopefully it will show on a weekend.”

After his recent ups and downs, it will be a big day when McLelland finally makes his debut for Tigers - the team he was up against in his first Super League game for Leeds.

“I played a friendly here, but never had a chance to play first team,” he recalled.

“It will be a really proud moment.”

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