LIAM WATTS is open-minded about the direction of his career as he goes into the final year of his current Castleford contract.
The no-nonsense prop, 32, played in 20 of the Tigers’ 29 matches last season as his side narrowly missed out on the play-offs and made the Challenge Cup quarter-finals.
Watts has been back at Castleford, where he spent his first year in the professional game in 2007 before going on to play for both Hull teams, since early in the 2018 season.
His departure from Hull to return to the Tigers, who beat Toronto to his signature, followed rumours of a rift with coach Lee Radford, who is now in charge at Castleford.
However that’s all in the past, and Watts, who is just 13 appearances off 300 in Super League following 57 for Hull KR, 135 for Hull and 95 for Castleford, for whom he played in the 2017 Grand Final, admits he is considering the future.
“I’ve always said to myself I don’t want to go on a year too far,” he told the JM Academy podcast.
“We will struggle with life after rugby as it is; I see blokes now who can’t bend their knees and elbows.
“While we are getting fitter and fitter, the game is getting quicker, the impact bigger, so it is getting to a stage where we are taking more whacks than ever before. It is constant.
“I’ve probably got three more years left. If I do have to go elsewhere, there are teams in France.”
The former Featherstone Lions junior, who won the Challenge Cup with Hull in 2016 and 2017 and was a Super League Dream Team member in 2019, added: “I don’t want to completely shut it (Rugby League) off, but I don’t want to go into coaching.
“I will be going into manual labour. I enjoy the tools side of things. I’ve renovated my house and love decorating.”
Meanwhile, Watts’ fellow frontrower Kieran Hudson, 22 has been sidelined by an Achilles tendon injury that will keep him out of action for an unspecified period of time.
“It’s obviously heartbreaking for him because he started pre-season so well, so picking up this injury is a tough one to take for him,’ said Radford.
“We’ll take care of him and try to help him get back to full fitness so he can reach the levels we know he is capable of.”
Castleford, who last Friday confirmed their squad numbers for 2023, head to Whitehaven on Sunday (3pm) and host Huddersfield in Nathan Massey’s testimonial on Sunday, February 5 (3.30pm) before opening their league campaign away to Hull on Sunday, February 19.
Castleford 2023 squad: 1 Niall Evalds, 2 Greg Eden, 3 Jordan Turner, 4 Mahe Fonua, 5 Bureta Faraimo, 6 Gareth Widdop, 7 Jacob Miller, 8 George Lawler, 9 Paul McShane, 10 George Griffin, 11 Kenny Edwards, 12 Alex Mellor, 13 Joe Westerman, 14 Nathan Massey, 15 Alex Sutcliffe, 16 Adam Milner, 17 Jack Broadbent, 18 Callum McLelland, 19 Albert Vete, 20 Muizz Mustapha, 21 Jake Mamo, 22 Daniel Smith, 23 Suaia Matagi, 24 Cain Robb, 25 Brad Martin, 26 Elliot Wallis, 27 Bailey Dawson, 28 Sam Hall, 29 Kieran Hudson, 30 Jacob Hookem, 31 Jason Qareqare, 32 Liam Watts, 33 Aaron Willis, 34 George Hill, 35 Ilikaya Mafi, 36 Hugo Nikhata, 37 Danny Richardson.
