Castleford Tigers head coach Paul Rowley has expressed his desire to bring in some new recruits ahead of the new season, but with pre-season just a couple of weeks away, most clubs have already completed their business.

What that means is the pool of players the new boss has available to him is very limited. Rowley has stated that he would like to bring in a “purist” back rower, as well as extra depth in the outside backs and the props.

Castleford have already made a number of signings for the new season, with those new faces expected to bring both star quality and experience to a side that finished 13th in Super League last season.

Where the Tigers are hindered is their quota allocation. The club are already one player over the maximum of 10, meaning that someone will need to depart. If they want to recruit either from overseas or bring in an overseas player currently in Super League, they will need to get rid of at least two more of their current quota.

We know that Rowley likes to bring in players he has worked with before, so that could again be the case. The new head coach is also looking to make some additions to the backroom staff, again with people he knows can get his message across.

With that in mind, here are five players that could potentially make the move to Wheldon Road next year, be that on loan or permanently. Given the side have no quota spaces free, only non-quota players have been considered.

Five potential Castleford Tigers signings after Paul Rowley appointment

Lee Kershaw:

An outside back who is still without a club for 2027 is Kershaw, who has been released by Hull KR after two seasons. Suffering an ACL injury during his time at Craven Park, the former Wakefield man would be a solid backup to the likes of Jason Qareqare and Mat Feagai.

The Hull FC stalwart is yet to find a new club for 2027, and whilst he’s not the big name signing fans could perhaps hope for, he has proven Super League quality and a work rate that is just what Castleford need.

The 30-year-old does have his own tyre company in Hull, so travel and logistics may be an issue, but with not a lot of players on the open market, he’s one of the most high-profile still without a permanent deal.

Joe Shorrocks:

The former Salford man has been rumoured by LoveRugbyLeague to have been offered to clubs, with his current side, St Helens, reportedly looking at potential exit options.

He signed a long-term extension earlier this season, but if the Red Vee are looking to offload him, it’s easy to see why Castleford could be his next destination.

Shorrocks knows Rowley well from their time at the Red Devils, whilst the Tigers are also in need of more middles, especially in the back row and at loose forward.

Ben Littlewood:

One player that is unlikely to get game time at their current club but is ready for week-to-week Super League is Leeds’ Ben Littlewood. The towering back rower signed a new contract to keep him at Headingley long-term, but with Kallum Watkins, Chris Hankinson, Morgan Gannon, Edenn Rogers-Smith and Zak Lloyd all ahead of him in the pecking order, a year away could be huge for his development.

Moving on to another back rower, but one that is a bit more outside the box, London Broncos’ Jack Croft could fancy a move back to the top flight should his current club not get promoted.

We still don’t know what will happen with London, but if they remain in the Championship for another season, it could tempt some players into leaving for the higher division, and the former Wakefield man has shown this year he could be a real asset to a team like Castleford.

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