CASTLEFORD Tigers have continued their recruitment for the 2023 Super League season, swooping for Leeds Rhinos outside back Jack Broadbent.
A former Batley Boys junior, Broadbent has developed and come through Leeds Rhinos’ Academy and impressed when he broke into their First Team following his debut in 2020. Across 22 appearances he scored nine times before making the move to Featherstone Rovers for most of the 2022 season on loan, where again he has shone picking up eight four-pointers in twelve games.
Now ready for a new challenge, the exciting youngster is delighted to be part of the Tigers!
“I’m delighted to join Cas, I’ve had my first week here now and I’m having a blast!”, Broadbent told castlefordtigers.com
“The lads have made me feel really welcome and so have the coaches, I’m aching a bit after that first week of getting back into training, but I’ve really enjoyed it. The training has been good, and the standards are really high.”
Broadbent also feels like he has fitted in well with the team, having known the likes of Alex Mellor and Muizz Mustapha from Leeds.
“I feel like I’ve fitted in really well and you can definitely feel that it’s a close-knit team and hopefully we can do that on the field and take that into the season and into our rugby.
“I’m really good friends with a couple of the boys and they’ve been telling me about the club before I came over and they’ve been giving me a bit of an insight. I’m happy to be back with them!”
“I can’t wait to pull that shirt on for the first time and I’ve got some fond memories playing down here…” – Jack Broadbent
After spending most of the 2022 campaign on loan away from his parent club Leeds, Jack is looking to establish himself as a Super League talent.
“It probably didn’t go the way I wanted it to at Leeds last year and ended up on loan with Featherstone. I feel like I had a strong end to the season under Brian McDermott and I felt like I learned a lot during that time.
“This is my first permanent move and I’m looking to make that step up and become a week-in, week-out Super League player.”
Broadbent is already no stranger though to scoring tries at The Mend-A-Hose Jungle. Back in 2018, he scored a brace for Yorkshire against the Australian Schoolboys, in 2021 he picked up a try at centre for the Rhinos in Super League, and as previously referenced he got another two scores for England Knights against Jamaica!
“I can’t wait to pull that shirt on for the first time and I’ve got some fond memories playing down here for the England Knights and Yorkshire against Australia so I’m looking forward to scoring a few in front of the Cas fans hopefully.”
Broadbent has revealed he will play anywhere where head coach Lee Radford wants him to play.
“I would say I’m a bit of a wiry player who likes to get about and get involved. I’ve got a high work rate and want to work hard for the team. I like to put myself about and I don’t really like not touching the ball for too long.
“At a young age, I think it’s good to have that versatility and being able to play in that number of positions because I probably wouldn’t have played half as many games if I could only play one position. I would say I probably prefer centre and maybe try and nail that down but wherever the team need me, and Lee asks me to play, I’m never going to say no.”
