Castleford launch hunt for Blake Taaffe replacement as exemption secured

Castleford Tigers have entered the transfer market to try and find a replacement for injured fullback Blake Taaffe: and are hopeful they will be able to scour the world for a new signing.

The Tigers were rocked by the news that Taaffe would miss the rest of the 2026 season after scans showed he had ruptured his ACL – despite completing Sunday afternoon’s Super League clash with Wigan Warriors.

That has left the Tigers without one of their star players and big earners for almost the whole of the campaign – but Love Rugby League has been told work has already started on securing a replacement.

Crucially, the timing of Taaffe’s injury means that Castleford are able to effectively wipe his salary value from their cap for 2026 – though obviously, he will still be paid as normal.

Operational rules set out by the Rugby Football League dictate that should any player have medical proof of a season-ending injury that is sustained before Round 3 of the Super League season, that club is entitled to salary cap dispensation to the value of the remaining fixtures.

That means Castleford will be able to spend 26/27ths of Taaffe’s salary, with only 1/27th of it counting on their cap given how he has played one fixture for the club in Super League.

That frees up a significant amount of salary cap space for Castleford, which is a huge bonus for their recruitment plans. But they are now waiting to learn if they can secure an exemption on the quota too.

Hull FC secured something similar in 2025 after Ligi Sao suffered a season-ending injury after two games of the season, leaving the Tigers hopeful they can also achieve it. That would allow them to head Down Under and source a direct replacement – with the club currently full on the overseas quota.

But if Taaffe can come off the quota for this season, it would enable Castleford to try and sign another NRL player.

In the short-term, Fletcher Rooney and Zac Cini would appear to be the two frontrunners to replace Taaffe for this weekend’s trip to Toulouse, with Cini now back in full training.