Castleford Tigers sign ex-Hull KR forward

The 29-year-old joined the Robins ahead of the 2021 season after spells in the NRL with New Zealand Warriors and Melbourne Storm.

“I’m pumped and I can’t wait to get started,” Vete said of moving to Castleford.

“I’ve already started talking to some of the boys and I’ve done a few training sessions with Mahe [Fonua] and Bureta [Faraimo], trying to keep each other accountable during the off-season.

“It’s a really good crew and it’s a good vibe at the moment. I’m really looking forward to meeting the rest of the boys and I know Radders [coach Lee Radford] has assembled a strong squad. I can’t wait to meet the staff and hit the ground running in November.”

Of what he will bring to Tigers over the next two seasons, Vete said: “I try to be a force on the field with my running and my defence and I feel I can definitely add to the Castleford squad with my aggression.

“I’m looking forward to playing with the squad who are already there, especially Paul McShane because I’m sick of him running circles around me on the field.

“I think Castleford were really unlucky to miss out on the finals this year because they were building a lot of momentum and I think the injuries they got were really unlucky.

“I’ve already had a little taste of finals footy over here and I want to get back there and do my part for the team to make sure we put ourselves in that position.”

Radford reckons Vete will bring some variety to Tigers’ engine room. He said: “He’s something a bit different and has a different shape to what we’ve got in the forward pack at the moment.

“His skillset is really high and speaking to players who he’s played with, the feedback on him off the field is fantastic too.

“We’ve got to try and get the best out of him and try to use his strengths in our team. I’m really looking forward to working with him.”