Castleford Tigers next retention priorities ranked following Krystian Mapapalangi re-signing

Castleford Tigers have acted quickly to secure the long-term future of star centre Krystian Mapapalangi, with the new recruit extending until the end of 2029. 

He becomes the latest player to sign an extended deal with the Fords, following the additions of Tyler Dupree and Phoenix Laulu-Togaga’e last month.

However, this also throws up a question of who else Castleford will look to tie down long-term, with a number of players off-contract come the end of the season.

Here is our take on the key priorities now facing head coach Ryan Carr and director of rugby Chris Chester.

Daejarn Asi

A new deal for Daejarn Asi would really help Castleford nail their flags to the mast at half-back, with his next contract likely to be a long-term one. The 25-year-old has shown some really nice flicks of quality during his time in West Yorkshire, and his connection with Tom Weaver does seem to be improving every week – even with the team’s struggles in recent games.

Crucially, Weaver is also under contract for next season, too, so if Castleford want to make this their long-term half-back partnership, getting Asi’s future secured would seem a major priority.

Jason Qareqare

Fijian international Jason Qareqare is another who is out of contract at the end of the season, but Castleford should be looking to secure him long-term.

The winger is enjoying a consistent run of games for the first time in a good while this season, with 12 appearances under his belt already this term, and those minutes are turning into strong performances as well.

He is also the exact age profile the Fords are after in this new era, with the winger still just 22 years old and boasting decent experience both in Super League and at Test level, which is another big tick in his box.

Mapapalangi’s new deal could also make this an inevitable move for Castleford, too, with their edge combination quickly becoming a key asset for Castleford in attack.

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Joe Westerman

Potentially a left-field call here, but Castleford could also look to get experienced prop Joe Westerman to go around again with a fresh deal come next season. The 36-year-old has been a real rock of consistency for the Fords’ pack in recent seasons, and was in pretty good touch this season too prior to his injury.

Westerman also adds so much experience to their ranks with over 400 professional appearances to his name at the time of writing, and that is such a key component to have with such a young squad elsewhere.

His age profile does make it a big call, but he would offer a lot to their squad next season if they were to keep him around.

Liam Hood

He has only had limited gametime since making the move from Wakefield Trinity, but he’s arguably been their standout player when fit and could easily do so again next season.

Hood just brings proper grit and determination on both sides of the ball, and adds another experienced head to the squad, too, with 154 first-class appearances to his name.

The hooker was also one of several new spine players added to the squad this off-season, and like 2025 arrival Asi, tying him down for next season would go a long way to ensuring continuity in this new era.

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