Ex-Leeds Rhinos half-back Callum McLelland closing in on long-awaited Castleford Tigers debut

McLelland started his professional career with Tigers’ academy before leaving in 2017 for a spell in Scottish rugby union.

He returned to league with Rhinos in August, 2018 and made 16 senior appearances until moving back to Tigers three years later.

His last appearance for Leeds was in a Betfred Super League defeat at Wakefield Trinity on August 30, 2021 - and he has not played any rugby since.

McLelland, having already endured an injury-hit year, suffered a ruptured patella tendon that afternoon which sidelined him throughout last season,

He is now back in training, but a quad muscle injury - legacy of the long layoff - prevented him playing in pre-season.

That setback behind him, he is now “raring to go”, whether that’s at Tigers or elsewhere on loan.

“If I have to prove myself on loan for a bit and then come back and play for Cas, I am willing to do anything,” McLelland said.

“My knee has been all right and probably the best since I did it 18 months ago. It has just been about building my leg up, but I feel really confident in it.”

Such a long spell out of action would have been traumatic for anyone, but particularly a young player, now 23, attempting to establish himself in the sport.

McLelland insisted: “I am not one to say it has been really tough mentally because I’ve had such a good team around me.

“All the lads have been great with me, Matty [Crowther] the physio has been amazing and Radders [coach Lee Radford] and everyone.

“There have been days when I’ve thought my knee is sore or whatever, but I have been lifted straight back up.

“It has been a long time, I have missed the rugby side of things, but touch wood when I get back that’ll be the end of it.”

McLelland is confident there are no mental scars and his confidence, so crucial for a ball player, isn’t affected.

“I have been out that long, I am looking forward to playing so much it doesn’t really cross my mind now,” he said of the damage to his knee.

The next challenge is getting into Tigers’ matchday 17. Another half-back, Danny Richardson, is on the long-term casualty list with a serious knee injury suffered a year after McLelland’s, but the experienced pairing of Jacob Miller and Gareth Widdop joined the club in the off-season and will start the season as first-choice.

“That’s a positive,” McLelland said. “We have strengthened our half-backs since Truey [Jake Trueman] has gone.

“It will be great to work with them and hopefully push them for places. There was less than 10 games we played with our actual spine - nine, six, seven, one - last year.

“That plays a massive part in how your season goes, but it showed our team togetherness and that even when we are down on troops we can still challenge.

“This year, I think as long as we can stay injury-free and keep our spine fit, I think we’ve got a real chance and we’ll shock a lot of people.”