Castleford Tigers search for new signing after double injury blow as full-back plan v Leeds Rhinos revealed
Castleford Tigers are “actively looking” to sign a full-back after two long-term injuries.
Australian pre-season signing Blake Taaffe will miss the rest of the season after rupturing an anterior cruciate ligament against Wigan Warriors in Betfred Super League round one. And homegrown prospect Fletcher Rooney, 20, sustained a hamstring injury in a reserves match last weekend which will require surgery and three months on the casualty list.
Zac Cini is set to continue at full-back in Sunday’s derby at Leeds Rhinos, but coach Ryan Carr confirmed: “We definitely haven’t given up on our recruitment plans for this year. That’s something we need to continue to look at. We are actively looking.”
Of Rooney, Carr said: “He played in our reserves match on Saturday and was playing really well. He made a line-break and tried to accelerate around the full-back and felt his hamstring go.
“That’s his second big one on that side, he had one last year. Poor kid, he has had a few major injuries at an early age - he has done his knee and his quad and his hammy. It is all related, we think.
“He will be getting surgery on Tuesday, which is unfortunate for him, but we have got a plan in place. He is only young, he has got a long career and a lot of footy ahead of him so we’ve just got to make sure we get that plan right moving forward. Something has to change, we can’t keep doing the same thing with him or it’s going to continue to happen.”
Hooker Cain Robb and outside-back Louis Senior have both had surgery on ankle ligament damage and will be out for up to four and 10 weeks respectively. Tigers’other major casualty, ex-Rhinos forward Alex Mellor, sustained a fractured tibia against Toulouse Olympique last month, but will be back on the field in six-eight weeks’ time.
“It’s a big blow losing anyone,” Carr said of Mellor’s layoff. “You never want to see anyone dropping out of your team. He is part of the leadership group and his influence has been really good through the week with the boys.
“He is making sure he continues to lead from the front and make sure our standards don’t drop off. I’ll continue leaning on him for that until we can get him back. It was unfortunate for him and we’ll look forward to getting him back.”