Robbie Mulhern reveals Leigh contract snub as emotional admission made on Castleford switch

Having agreed to join fellow Super League outfit Castleford Tigers from 2027, Leigh stalwart Robbie Mulhern has revealed the Leopards never offered him a contract extension.

Front-rower Mulhern has been at Leigh since the start of the 2023 campaign, joining the club ahead of their first season back in Super League.

Lifting the Challenge Cup in his first year with the Leopards, the 31-year-old has become a part of the furniture within Adrian Lam’s squad, and is among only a handful who now remain from that triumph at Wembley three years ago.

But come the end of 2026, he will move on to Castleford, with a three-year deal penned at The Jungle.

‘They never offered me a contract… I’m sad to be leaving, I’ve absolutely loved my time here’

An Ireland and England international, Mulhern has played 95 games in a Leigh shirt to date, scoring six tries across all competitions.

All being well, he will surpass a century of appearances for the Leopards, who have six games left of the regular season and hope to be involved in the play-offs again.

Speaking to LoveRugbyLeague about his impending departure, Mulhern revealed: “They never offered me a contract, and it just got to a point where I was free to negotiate with other teams.

“They didn’t offer me anything and when Cas came in, I was really impressed with the vision and what they had to say.

“I know they’ve got big plans with big ambitions, the owner there is backing them 100%. It’s an exciting place to be.

“I’ll be a bit closer to my family and things like that, so all in all, it’s worked out quite well.

“I’m sad to be leaving, I’ve absolutely loved my time here, but I guess that’s just sport at the end of the day.

“My full focus now is on Leigh and finishing strong.”

‘If you’d have asked me maybe halfway through the season last year, then I’d have thought I’d have finished my career here’

Pontefract-born Mulhern – who will turn 32 in October – donned a shirt for Castleford Panthers and Normanton Knights as a junior as well as spending time in Wakefield Trinity’s youth system, but made his professional bow for Leeds Rhinos back in 2014.

Having also represented Hunslet, Newcastle Thunder, Hull KR and Warrington Wolves as well as Leigh, he is fast closing in on the landmark of 300 career appearances,

Set to form part of a rebuild at Cas, the veteran forward added: “I’m not too sure (why Leigh didn’t offer me a contract).

“If you’d have asked me maybe halfway through the season last year, then I’d have thought I’d have finished my career here.

“But they obviously didn’t have the same idea, and that’s fine, that’s sport.

“People move on and they get new people in, that’s the route they wanted to go with me – but I have no grudges, I’ve loved my time here and hopefully I can finish on a high.”

Leigh – who released Aaron Pene earlier this week – look set to lose a number of players come the end of the season. Bailey Hodgson’s move to Hull FC is now official and Ben McNamara will join Castleford alongside Mulhern.

The dream ending for all would be to help guide the Leopards to a first-ever Super League title, something Mulhern is keen to do, but not for his own story.

He added: “I try not to think too much about it.

“It’s about the team rather than my individual goals, and I think if we all play as well as we can and keep this momentum going, there’s no reason why we can’t get to Old Trafford.

“We’ve just got to take it one game at a time.”