Castleford Tigers have unearthed a new Super League star

After a shaky start for Castleford Tigers, there has been natural scrutiny aimed at their recruitment.

And while the jury is still out on some of their new signings, what has quickly become clear is that they have found a star.

Krystian Mapapalangi was the star of the show as the Tigers secured their second win of the season, producing a sublime performance in Cas’ 40-28 win over Bradford Bulls.

A late recruit from Newcastle Knights, Mapapalangi has caught the eye in all of his appearances so far. But he was on another level on Thursday night. He might not have got on the scoresheet, but the centre put Jason Qareqare away for a hat-trick and was a constant threat to the Bulls defence all evening.

Put simply, he terrorised them.

Those who knew Mapapalangi before his move never doubted his quality. The feedback was that if he could remain on the field, he would shine. He arrived after serious injuries that stifled the start of his NRL career, but those who knew him said he possessed tremendous quality. That much is clear already.

Still only 23, Mapapalangi has four assists and one try in five appearances so far, is averaging 106 metres per game and has made 21 tackle busts. Defensively, his tackle success rate is above 90 per cent.

It has been an excellent start from the centre, and whoever plays outside him looks set to have a lot of fun this year, as Qareqare can attest for.

“Real talent,” coach Ryan Carr said. “I’m real pleased to see him playing some good rugby and we missed him last week. Jason is backing himself, which is pleasing himself. He’s always held back, but he’s backing his speed and his ability and it goes for all of them. I want them to back themselves and be confident. They’re all good players, I want them to understand that as you can lose that.”