JAKE WEBSTER is a name that strikes a chord in a certain part of West Yorkshire.
A Castleford Tigers hero, Webster spent six seasons at The Jungle where he became a firm fans’ favourite for his formidable running style and the ability to smash any attacker to kingdom come.
At times Webster, who is now Keighley Cougars’ Director of Rugby, appeared broken on the field before regaining his feet to once more give his all to the club and fans that loved him.
Simultaneously, the 40-year-old loved the Castleford club and those fans that adored him, with the centre registering 49 tries in 125 appearances for the Tigers between 2013 and 2018.
Reflecting on that stint following his last-ever game of rugby league in his testimonial for Keighley against Castleford, Webster was emotional: “I loved my time there, it was very memorable. I have some great memories and the fans were great. The club was great with me and it was a journey,” Webster told League Express.
“I went there when they were in the doldrums and it was a good three or four year process of building a squad and getting to the heights that we did in 2017.
“I owe them a lot and I’ve got very fond memories that I can look back on.
“I still keep in touch with the players every now and then, you bump into them or you text or see them on social media. Everyone has had families and it’s good to see how everyone is doing.”
When talking to Webster it’s also important to understand that, during Covid-19, he was at the forefront of ensuring rugby league players kept busy.
In doing so, the 40-year-old entered the world of cryptocurrency and trading on the stock market.
Though his time is now largely spent elsewhere given the expansion of his family and his new time-consuming job at Cougar Park, Webster admits he still checks the markets now and then.
“I don’t do it consistently any more, it’s more the cryptocurrency stuff. I still do a bit of trading now and then. I’ve still got the accounts open but the market is quite volatile at the moment as you don’t know what’s going on in the world.
“It was mainly during the Covid-19 era that rugby league players began honing their skills, it kept us busy as there was nothing else to do!”
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