Castleford prop Craig Huby admits it will be hard to leave the Tigers after twelve years.
But he is looking for a new challenge with Huddersfield Giants.
Huby, 28, has agreed to a four-year deal with the Giants, beginning next season, after receiving offers from several Super League clubs.
The frontrower made his first-grade debut for Castleford as a 16-year-old in 2003 and has played 184 games for the club.
“It was a very hard decision to make but I felt I needed to do it,” Huby told League Express.
“It would have been easier to stay at Cas, but I wanted to keep challenging myself. Huddersfield have been doing well in the last couple of seasons and I’ve got a few friends there. I was really impressed when I spoke to Paul Anderson and with some of the lads there.”
Huby has played a key role for Castleford this season and says the Tigers’ coaches Daryl Powell and Danny Orr have turned the club around.
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“If you look at where we were twelve months ago you can see how far we have come,” said Huby.
“They both instilled confidence in our own ability and the way we wanted to play.”
And Huby insists that the Tigers have put the disappointment of losing last month’s Challenge Cup final behind them.
“The Cup was a great experience and it would have been great to win it,” he said.
“We got everything out in the review and then just moved on to what we had to do in Super League to finish as high as we could.”
Huby is now keen to leave the Tigers on a high after more than a decade there and he is targeting a Grand Final berth.
“It’s been an unbelievable year so far and that would be a great way to end my Cas career,” he said.
“We have been playing well most of the season and just need to keep playing to our potential and stick to the game plans we are given. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a great chance.”
