Liam Watts is set to make a shock big-money move to Castleford Tigers.
The Black and Whites front-rower is set to link up with the Tigers on a three-year deal after the two clubs agreed on a substantial fee.
TotalRL understands Castleford have held off strong interest from other clubs for the 27-year-old, who has had a number of run-ins with referees during a controversial career.
Watts was dismissed for the fourth time in two seasons earlier this month after head-butting Dom Crosby, which prompted Hull FC head coach Lee Radford to call the incident ‘pathetic’.
Radford has lost patience with the Featherstone-born ace, having allowed Watts to leave to one their top four rivals.
Watts is set to earn a significant salary at the Tigers, who still have space on the cap following last year’s departure of Zak Hardaker.
Castleford already have three front-rowers in Mitch Clark, Will Maher and Gadwin Springer currently out on dual registration and loan deals in the Championship, but the Tigers see Watts as a big coup for their current squad.
A former Albert Goldthorpe Rookie of the Year winner, Watts made over 150 appearances for the Black and Whites following a cross-city move from Hull Kingston Rovers in 2010.
His arrival is a substantial boost for the club’s new director of rugby Jon Wells, whose first business has been to land the former Hull KR star ahead of strong opposition elsewhere.
