FORMER Castleford Tigers livewire Jake Mamo has come out of retirement to sign for a shock UK club.
Mamo will be no stranger to fans of rugby league, having played in both the NRL and Super League for nine seasons between 2014 and 2023 and being regularly touted as a true character of the sport.
Now, he will lace up the boots once more until the end of the 2024 League One season with the Midlands Hurricanes.
He made his professional debut with the Newcastle Knights in 2014, scoring 11 tries in 29 NRL appearances before signing for Super League club Huddersfield Giants at the end of the 2016 season.
Having scored 17 tries in 25 appearances for the Giants across two seasons, he was snapped up by Warrington Wolves for the 2019 season where he would go on to score 29 tries in 56 games. He then signed with Castleford Tigers in 2022, where he scored 12 tries in 22 games before making the decision to retire from the sport at the age of 28 early into the 2023 season, mainly due to the effects of head and back injuries suffered over his career.
However, after just a little over 18 months away from the sport and following ongoing conversations with Hurricanes Chairman Mike Lomas, Mamo has decided to come out of retirement and pull on a Canes shirt for the remainder of the season.
Chairman Mike Lomas said: “I am delighted to welcome Jake to the Midlands Hurricanes. Jake and I have been friends for a number of years and I am certain he will a fantastic addition to our already impressive squad!
“When the opportunity to bring Jake to the Hurricanes it was an absolute no brainer. He has an incredible background playing for great teams at the top of the game, both at NRL and Super League level. Enhancing the squad a player with this level of knowledge is true testament to the direction we want to take the club.”
Head Coach Mark Dunning on signing Mamo: “Everyone at the club is delighted to welcome Jake to the club on what is a massive coup.
“Having spoken with Jake, it is clear how excited he is to be lacing up his boots again and adding to what we’re trying to achieve at the Canes. He’s kept himself fit and healthy and he’s ready to go. His experience and calming influence on the field will be invaluable going forward and he’s super keen to get going and meet his new teammates and the Hurricanes faithful. As a club we have had an influx of quality and depth to our squad and everyone is looking forward to seeing where these new signings can take us.
“I would like to pass on my particular thanks to our Chairman Mike Lomas and CEO Greg Wood, who have gone to great lengths to make this happen and will undoubtedly be as excited as I am to see Jake in action.”
Mamo himself said: “I’m really excited to join the Hurricanes and play some rugby again after a couple of years off. I’ve been following them closely for the past couple of years and its great to see rugby league growing in the Midlands, so it’s exciting to be a part of this.
“We’re coming to the important end of the season now so hopefully I can help out with the push into the playoffs over the next few weeks and beyond! See you all soon!”
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