Trophies and an England World Cup spot - Castleford Tigers ace Jake Trueman sets targets for 2021

Trueman struggled with a back injury following the coronavirus shutdown and played only 11 games as Tigers slipped from second in Betfred Super League to eighth.

But he is now fully fit and confident Tigers have the firepower to be back among the title challengers when the new campaign begins next month.

“This year we are hoping to win something, that’s the aim,” Trueman pledged.

“I think we have got the squad.

“I thought we had the squad last year, but a few things went against us - injuries, Covid didn’t work very well for us, but I think we’ve signed well and we’ll have a good go at it.”

Trueman reckons Niall Evalds, Tigers’ star recruit, will bring a new dimension to the team, after appearing in successive finals for Salford Red Devils.

“That’s a great signing for us,” he said of the England Knights full-back.

“We struggled a bit in that position last year, losing Razor [Jordan Rankin].

“Gaz [O’Brien] came in and he had to play a bit at half-back and we didn’t really have consistency in the spine.

“I think if we get that this year it’ll go a long way for us.”

At one stage last year Tigers were without both Trueman and his half-back partner Danny Richardson because of injury.

“I am all good,” he insisted.

“I had a back injury last year, but the physios have found out what it was and it feels fine now.

“I felt like we were going strong, we were building, me and Danny.

“Our combinations were getting better, then Covid happened and then injuries.

“It [the partnership] will only get better.

“If you look at the top teams in the league, they have half-backs who have played together, a good spine who know each other’s game.

“I think if we can get Niall in, after we’ve been training together all pre-season, we’ll start to look good.”

With a World Cup scheduled for the autumn, this is a big year for the sport.

Trueman featured for England in the 2019 Sydney Nines and was a non-playing member of that year’s Great Britain squad.

He was not included in new England boss Shaun Wane’s latest performance group, but knows a strong campaign with Tigers could thrust him into World Cup contention.

“It is a little bit of an incentive to get into that World Cup squad,” he admitted.

“I have to play well to get in there, there’s some good half-backs, but it is something I am definitely aiming for.

“You have got to play well throughout the year, just worry about that and get your performances right and that comes on the back of it.”

Tigers had a three-day camp before Christmas and have been in pre-season proper since the start of January.

Round one, which begins on March 25, is still more than six weeks away and Trueman insisted: “I am looking forward to it.

“It [round one] has been pushed back two weeks and I think that’s good for the game.

“We’ll have a longer pre-season and everyone can get fit, get ready.

“It will be a better quality of game with a longer pre-season.”