So sad: Jason Ryles Eels set to entertain serious first back pain as another key Exodus official’ hint arrives” could pie more misery…
Asi is one of 11 players that will be leaving Parramatta at the end of the 2024 season, having participated in 14 NRL games. Zac Cini, an outside back, is the lone confirmed recruit for the Tigers for the next season.
In a statement made during his weekly preview press conference prior to the Tigers’ match at St Helens tomorrow, Lingard stated the team will be stronger in 2025.
Castleford are set to finish 10th in Betfred Super League and the coach stressed: “With the targets we’ve identified and are hoping to get across the line, if we can get them into the country and our group for the start of pre-season, I’ve no doubt we’ll be stronger than this year.
There are some real positive signs with the targets we’re looking at bringing in and have spoken to. Daejarn Asi is one we have identified and spoken to.”
The coach added: “There are several half-back targets we’ve spoken about. We’ve spoken to their agents and got figures for everyone.
“With recruitment, you might have option A, option B and option C. You don’t hang your hat on one individual because in rugby league and professional sport anything can happen.
Twenty four hours after you’ve agreed something, they might go somewhere else. We don’t count anything until we get that paperwork back, signed, but we have spoken to a number of individuals in that position and he is certainly one we’ve identified who would be great to bring in if we could.”
Though he acknowledged the delay, Lingard expressed optimism that other recruits will join in the coming weeks. “I know there’s been speculation about why we haven’t signed [more players] and whether it’s because we don’t know what division we’re going to be in,” Lingard said.
But us not signing players as quickly as maybe some people want has got absolutely nothing to do with that. We’re as close to 100 per cent certain as we can be we’re going to be in Super League next year.”
Joe Westerman has been named in Tigers’ initial squad for Friday’s game, but has a leg injury and won’t play. Tex Hoy (hamstring), Corey Hall (pectoral muscle) and Cain Robb (head) are also ruled out and teenage forward Akim Matvejev is set for his debut.
