This article originally appeared in League Express. Get news like this first by buying the paper every Monday in stores, or online on a Sunday evening at totalrl.com/le.
Castleford Tigers triallist Alex Foster has revealed how he is playing through the pain barrier to secure himself a contract with the club.
The 23-year-old is currently training with Castleford with the view to earning a two-year deal.
Upon his arrival at the club, Foster was due to have an operation on a hernia that would have ruled him out of training for around four weeks.
However, the former Bradford and London utility has put those plans to one side in order to give him the best chance possible of securing a contract at the end of his trial period.
“It’s the situation I find myself in,” Foster admitted.
“There are not many options at the moment. If Cas hadn’t come in, it would have meant doing the rehab on my own, getting back to full fitness and seeing what was out there. It’s difficult, but Castleford are really helping me out and helping me get a contract. I can’t thank them enough.
“There are no guarantee at the moment as it’s still only a trial for a month. There are a lot of promise for me, but no guarantee, so I’m working as hard as I can to make sure I impress and get that contract. An operation will have to be done at some point, though.”
Foster’s arrival at Castleford, temporary or permanent, is the latest of several moves he has made between clubs since the beginning of his career.
He made his professional debut at Leeds before joining London in 2014.
After the Broncos’ relegation, Foster made the move to Featherstone, only to re-sign for London ahead of the 2016 season. However, he then returned north ahead of this season by signing for the Bulls, before finding himself at the Mend-A-Hose Jungle.
Now at his fifth club in as many years, Foster admits that he is desperate to settle down at Castleford and have some continuity in his career.
“I managed to get a move back up north, which is what I wanted,” he added.
“That was with Bradford. It was an exciting prospect at the time. But the way the last six months has unfolded has been quite difficult. But I never thought the opportunity to
play for a club as reputable as Castleford would come up.
“To be at Castleford, back up north and close to my family while being at a Super League club aiming to win trophies is a dream for me.”
