Castleford Tigers signing Kieran Hudson has all the attributes needed to be a top Super League prop, says Whitehaven coach Jonty Gorley.
The 21-year-old has been loaned back to the Championship club, who signed him in October, for the remainder of this season after penning a two-year Tigers deal.
And Gorley, who has been in close contact with Castleford chief Lee Radford since he first showed interest in the former Newcastle Thunder player, says that will benefit both clubs and the player himself.
Hudson, the grandson of the late Leeds legend and Great Britain World Cup winner John Holmes, was in the Sunderland Football Club development system as a goalkeeper before joining the Thunder Academy.
He made his first-team debut in League 1 during the truncated 2020 season and madea further three appearances in the Championship last year.
Gorley moved for Hudson after snapping up another Newcastle front rower, Liam McAvoy.
“When I was talking to Liam, he told me about Kieran’s potential and said that, given he hadn’t played that much at Newcastle and was available, I should make a move,” he explained.
“Liam and I go back a while, and I trust his opinion, to I took his advice, and I’m pleased I did.
“Kieran’s a big lad, 6ft 5in and around 17 stones, but as well as that power, he has a bit of pace and mobility and great hands.
“He started out as a winger, and you can see that in the way he moves, and his potential really stood out when he held his own against a very strong Leigh pack in our first game of the season.
“He’s a great kid off the field, very open to learning, and I’m delighted that Castleford have spotted him, because I think he has what it takes to do well in Super League.
“He’ll train full-time with Castleford and join up with us for matches. He’ll benefit from getting more Championship games under his belt and be that much more equipped for next season.”
Radford’s more immediate concern is Friday’s trip to Hull KR, when his side will seek a first win of the season after defeats by Salford and Warrington.
Frustrated by an adverse penalty count at Warrington, who won 34-10, he has injury concerns over Alex Sutcliffe and Kenny Edwards, who suffered throat and calf injuries respectively on Thursday, with Adam Milner (back), Nathan Massey (hip) and Danny Richardson (neck) already out.
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