Ex-Leeds Rhinos forward Muizz Mustapha signs long-term Castleford Tigers contract

The 23-year-old prop joined Tigers from Leeds a year ago and made 16 appearances in 2023, three of them in the starting side. He signed an initial one-year extension in October after an option in his contract was activated by the club. He has now penned another deal which will keep him at the club until the end of 2027.

“I’m really pleased, it has been a tough couple of years for me personally, especially this year,” Mustapha said. “I’m glad we managed to stay up and I’m able to stay at the club for the next few years and hopefully they are good years.”

Mustapha reckons Tigers are making progress as they aim to improve on last season’s 11th-placed finish in Betfred Super League. He reflected: “Pre-season has been tough.

“I think we’re taking on things we struggled with last year and hoping to improve on these this year and fix up the areas where we weren’t good enough. All the lads are working hard to get into the best shape they can.”

On a personal note, Mustapha’s immediate aim is to “play more games than last year”. He stressed: “It’s a simple goal, but a difficult one as I’ve got to play well every week to keep my spot and contribute to the team in any way I can.”

Tigers director of rugby operations Danny Wilson welcomed Mustapha’s new deal. He insisted: We’re really excited, Muizz is a player we want to be at the club long- term. Everything we spoke about in the off season and pre-season is about our vision, DNA and the culture we’re trying to build and he’s a big part of that.

“Getting Muizz to agree to stay shows he’s enjoying himself here and he sees his future here. He is an example of the core group of players we want to retain [to] make sure we achieve our plan and vision over the next few years.”

“I think we’re taking on things we struggled with last year and hoping to improve on these this year and fix up the areas where we weren’t good enough. All the lads are working hard to get into the best shape they can.”

On a personal note, Mustapha’s immediate aim is to “play more games than last year”. He stressed: “It’s a simple goal, but a difficult one as I’ve got to play well every week to keep my spot and contribute to the team in any way I can.”

Tigers director of rugby operations Danny Wilson welcomed Mustapha’s new deal. He insisted: We’re really excited, Muizz is a player we want to be at the club long- term. Everything we spoke about in the off season and pre-season is about our vision, DNA and the culture we’re trying to build and he’s a big part of that.

“Getting Muizz to agree to stay shows he’s enjoying himself here and he sees his future here. He is an example of the core group of players we want to retain [to] make sure we achieve our plan and vision over the next few years.”