SHEFFIELD EAGLES coach Craig Lingard was well aware his first match at the helm would be against his former employers Castleford – because he signed it off when still in charge of the Super League club.
The South Yorkshire side take on the Tigers, now bossed by Lingard’s old assistant Danny McGuire, at Featherstone’s Millennium Stadium on Friday in a testimonial for Quentin Laulu-Togaga’e.
In two spells at Sheffield, the 40-year-old New Zealand-born Samoa international fullback made 228 appearances, scoring 181 tries, before being sidelined a year ago after suffering a heart attack in training.
QLT, who played for Castleford in 2018 and has also represented Souths Logan Magpies in the Queensland Cup (before coming to the UK), Toronto, Halifax, Newcastle Thunder and Keighley, will retire after his testimonial.
“I’m obviously disappointed that I couldn’t play last year with what happened, but hopefully I get one last game in my testimonial and get to finish on a high,” he said.
As well as marking QLT’s memorable contribution to Sheffield, the game will provide Lingard, also a fullback during a lengthy playing career at Batley, where he also coached, with a welcome hit-out as he plays catch-up after taking the reins in early December.
He departed Castleford, after a season at the helm, in October, and explained: “We organised the game before I left, so it’s a strange twist that my first match here is against them.
“We have all moved on, and having gone back to Batley with Cas last season (in round six of the Challenge Cup), I’m used to a reunion.
“But it’s not about me, it’s about QLT, who has had an amazing career and who will hopefully get a great turn-out.”
Sheffield have a second pre-season match, away to neighbours Doncaster, on Sunday, January 19.
The Eagles host West Bowling in the second round of the Challenge Cup on the weekend of January 25/26.