Castleford Tigers: Veteran prop Lynch set for action after injury lay-off

The pre-season game will be 37-year-old prop Andy Lynch’s first since suffering a broken leg in a home loss to St Helens on May 1 last year.

“It’s been a while since I played so it will be good to get the boots back on and get out there with the lads again,” said the Tigers veteran.

“It was very frustrating last year. I’ve never had such a lengthy lay-off before.

“I’ve been quite lucky, all mine have been the type of injuries where you could put them off until the end of the year.

“I had the work done with my leg and ankle, then I had my long-term wrist and finger injuries and it was beneficial to get them done [operated on] so I would be right for the start of the season.

“Near enough everything’s right now and I will be ready to go for Super League.”

Lynch is contracted for 2017, but has yet to decide whether he will take up an option to play on beyond that.

“My body feels great at the moment,” he said. “Once I go into contact in games it might be different.

“You get used to that as a player, it’s just like getting back from pre-season and a few weeks off, your body gets a bit sore, but you get used to it.

“I don’t know yet whether I will play on after this year.

“I’m quite happy at the moment with this pre-season, but we will see how things go later in the year and then I will probably make a decision after sitting down with the coaches.”

Lynch is keen to win silverware before hanging up his boots and reckons Tigers’ squad is good and deep enough to do that.

“We’ve had a tough pre-season,” he said. “Everybody is ready to go and it’s exciting times.

“I think the possibilities are endless.

“The squad on paper is really strong and the big thing this year is strength in depth.

“We’ve got three or four players for each position. It’s not a case of just turning up and you will get in the team this year.

“You are going to have to perform because if you don’t there’s players waiting in the wings to take your place.”