Tigers winger James Clare confident of a full recovery after injury scare against Wigan Warriors

Clare was treated at length on the field, before being carried off on a stretcher.

He was taken to a nearby hospital for x-rays, but cleared of any serious damage and able to attend training yesterday when Castleford’s players returned to work ahead of Thursday’s game against Salford.

“I am all right,” confirmed the 29-year-old. “I have got a stiff neck, what feels like a bit of whiplash.

“It hurts your whole back, but in terms of x-rays there’s no structural damage in there.

“There’s a little bit of muscle soreness which will take a few days, but after that I should be absolutely fine.

“It [his layoff] is not going to be months or anything like that.

“There’s no broken bones in there, which was the major risk initially.”

Wigan player Morgan Smithies was sin-binned for an alleged ‘crusher tackle’, but Clare insisted: “It is rugby league, isn’t it?

“We don’t play tig and pass, it is just one of those things.

“Nobody goes out and thinks I am going to try and break somebody’s neck.”

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