Joe Westerman feeling fitter than ever as he targets silverware in ‘dream’ return to Castleford
Loose forward Joe Westerman says he would love to win trophies on his ‘dream’ return to hometown club Castleford.
The 32-year-old has returned to the club where his career began, having made his debut in 2007.
The England international has since featured for the likes of Hull, Warrington and Wakefield. However, Westerman said he jumped at the chance to return to the place where his career began.
Joe Westerman: ‘I always dreamt about coming back’
“It’s a dream really coming back to place what’s in my heart,” Westerman said. “I always dreamed about coming back and finishing my career here and obviously trying to win some trophies.
“Coming back has been an easy option for me and I’m really enjoying it so far.
“It’s a little bit different. When I was last here, we were kind of around the bottom end of the table. It was kind of making sure we didn’t get relegated and the club was not in as good a position as it is now.
“I think we’re in a different position. The club’s growing. You look at the stuff they’re doing around the place and it’s obviously on the up.”
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No thoughts of retirement for Joe Westerman yet
The Castleford number 13 says he is enjoying his rugby now more than ever in his return to Castleford.
His side opened up their season to a 26-16 home defeat to Salford in front of a sell-out crowd at the Mend-A-Hose Jungle.
The former Toronto man has signed a two-year deal with the club, but refuses to concede that those two years could be his last in the game.
Westerman discusses retirement
“I’m enjoying my rugby more than I’ve ever enjoyed it,” he said.
“I’m probably the fittest that I’ve been in the last couple of years. I train harder than I used to do.
“As I said before, I used to just expect to be able to turn up on the field and now I know that you can’t just do that.
“Obviously there’s injuries and you don’t know what injuries are going to occur, but I’d like to think that I’ve got a good few years left here.
“After last year how I felt playing, I felt the best talking 10 years how I felt.
“So, if I can put the performances in that I have been doing in the last year and in the few games the year before, there’s no reason not to.
“I think I’ve always said once my performances start dipping to the point where they’re not good enough, then I’ll know.
“I’m not going to be a player that keeps playing, especially with a team like Cas. I want to be coming and watching these players play when I retire and standing in the crowd and cheering them on.
“When the time is right I think I’ll know myself and that’s when the boots will be coming off.
“As I say, for now how I feel in the body, I’m quite looking forward to to the seasons ahead.”
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