WAKEFIELD loose-forward Joe Westerman will be reunited with his former Hull coach Lee Radford at Castleford next season.
The 31-year-old, who is in the England squad for Friday’s clash with the Combined Nations All Stars at Warrington, has signed a Tigers deal for the 2022 and 2023 seasons.
Westerman began his career at Castleford in 2007, having come through the youth system, and made more than 100 appearances before joining Hull ahead of the 2011 campaign.
The Pontefract-born star played for Warrington and Toronto, and had a second spell at Hull, before joining Wakefield in 2020.
“It’s more than ten years since I last played at Castleford, and since I was a young kid, I have always supported them,” he said.
“My whole family around me support Cas, so it will be good, and it is something I am really looking forward to.
“Cas have always been a big club in my eyes. From being a kid and supporting them to now, where they are up there with some quality players, it is really exciting.
“The standard is really high now and I just want to get there and play well for my hometown club next year.”
Westerman’s current form was reflected by his England recall (he made one appearance n 2014).
And he added: “I’m loving my time at Wakefield, and I have the utmost respect for the club and the people there.
“It has made me enjoy my rugby again and I have got a lot to thank Wakefield for. I get up every morning loving going to work.
“I have realised the little things you have to do away from the pitch to make you a better player.”
Westerman is looking forward to working under Radford, who will succeed Warrington-bound Daryl Powell as Castleford coach at the end of this season.
“I get on well with him as a coach and as a person. I honestly think that he will do a great job at Cas, and he’ll have the fans on his side straight away.”
Radford said: “Joe is in very good form. He is in a good place in his life and at a point in his career that he has a couple of years to win something.
“In my opinion, he should have more international caps than he has but for whatever reason that hasn’t happened.
“I honestly think for a ball-playing 13, there aren’t too many better in the competition at the minute.”
