IT’S fair to say that The Jungle, the home of the Castleford Tigers, is one of the most iconic rugby league stadiums.
Opened in 1926, the venue will celebrate its 100th birthday in just three years and with a potential redevelopment on the horizon, many would feel it is about time.
Though run down, the atmosphere generated at The Jungle is one of the best in Super League, with fans so close to the pitch that players are often just yards away.
For St Helens star Jack Welsby, he always looks out for his side’s fixture away at Castleford with dread.
“For anyone that doesn’t know, Cas is the worst place ever! There and Wakefield, I look at the fixture list and think “oh Christ we’ve got Cas that day”,” Welsby said on James Graham’s The Bye Round podcast.
“Or when it’s coming up, you know it’s looming because it’s always tough when you go there. You can hear their fans because they are so close, it’s the only place you can really.”
Welsby wasn’t alone in his assessment of The Jungle, with Graham himself recollecting just how enigmatic the crowd would be throughout the iconic venue.
Graham said: “Their fans say some interesting things. I’d get ready to take the kick-off and some of the abuse, I didn’t know they knew my mum that well!
“Their fans are so close.”
Aged just 22, Welsby is a four-time Super League Grand Final winner, one-time Challenge Cup winner and one-time World Club Challenge winner as he prepares for his second season under Paul Wellens as head coach.
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