CASTLEFORD TIGERS have been increasingly active in the transfer market before the August 4 deadline.
The West Yorkshire club has already recruited the likes of Billy Tsikrikas, Alex Foster and Liam Horne, with Charbel Tasipale and Blake Austin being the latest acquisitions announced by the Tigers.
One of those players, however, goes well back with Leeds Rhinos head coach Rohan Smith during his time at the Norths Devils.
That man is hooker Horne, who can also play in the centres and in the back-row, with the versatile 26-year-old scoring nine tries in 14 matches for the Queensland Cup club this season and also featured for Papua New Guinea against Fiji last year.
Smith, who coached Horne during his four-year spell in the second tier of Australian rugby league, hailed the new Castleford signing.
“Liam is a terrific young bloke, very competitive and has worked really hard to get the chance he has got at Castleford,” Smith said.
“He has done well for PNG and he is one of those kids that hasn’t been in the NRL systems but that he has just fought hard through the second tier competition at home, which is becoming increasingly a pathway to professional rugby league.
“I would expect him to make a good account of himself and add some good energy to that team.”
Horne made his debut in Castleford’s home clash against Huddersfield Giants last week and impressed coming off the substitutes’ bench.
