SAM WOOD has admitted that this pre-season at Castleford Tigers is the “toughest” one he has been involved in.
Wood joined the Tigers from Super League rivals Hull KR, with the centre beginning his career with Huddersfield Giants.
The Tigers go into the 2025 Super League season in a new era, with Danny McGuire taking over as head coach and Brett Delaney coming in as assistant from Hull KR.
And it’s fair to say that Wood is impressed with the new pairing at the helm – even if it has been very tough.
“They are brilliant. I spent a lot of time with Magsy (Danny McGuire) at Hull KR and Brett (Delaney) came in at KR halfway through the season when Tony Smith left and Magsy got the head coach role for a bit,” Wood told League Express.
“They are hard-working people and born winners and they have brought that mentality to Castleford.
“We have been working really hard during pre-season like I’m sure every team has been but it’s that toughness, grit and that competitiveness in training that will drive our standards.
“It’s the toughest pre-season I’ve been involved in. It’s really good work, though, it’s enjoyable and when everyone is in it together, the tough stuff is what you need to do. It’s what all great teams do.”
It’s not only a new era in terms of coaching staff at The Jungle, it’s a new era in terms of leadership with Wood being appointed as McGuire’s ears and eyes on the field for 2025.
At 27, Wood is raring to go with his new captaincy title and has emphasised that he wants to be approachable for all players at The Jungle.
“It’s always something I wanted to do. I feel like I took on a leadership role without being labelled captain,” Wood told League Express.
“I’ve got great people around me like Alex Mellor and George Lawler as well as the senior guys around me helping out.
“It’s a team game, it’s not just one individual. I flip the coin at the start of the game but there are plenty of leaders out there.
“I’m really looking forward to the new challenges that the new season will bring but I think will bring approachability to the role.
“When I spoke to the lads after being appointed captain, I said that I wanted to be accessible to everyone whether they were 17 doing their first pre-season or 35 doing their last one.
“I want to be someone there if someone needs me or not and help those younger players to get better.
“Obviously I want to lead by example, live that right lifestyle and be the person to look towards in training and games.”
