Castleford launch bid for St George fullback in new transfer move
Tyrell Sloan is being targeted by Castleford Tigers.
Castleford Tigers want to sign another St George-Illawarra Dragons star with Tyrell Sloan next on their hit-list – but he has publicly stated he would be keen to remain with the NRL club.
Sloan is the next player targeted by Ryan Carr as part of their impending rebuild in the winter as they look to establish themselves as a Super League force.
The 24-year-old would likely take Super League by storm if he made the move, with the Tigers keen on pursuing a move for Sloan.
However, there are complications to any potential deal.
Does Sloan want to come?
Castleford have held talks with Sloan over a number of weeks and have identified him as one of their final pieces of the plan for their 2027 squad.
He would likely come in and be the club’s first-choice fullback, which would almost certainly mean a move into the halves for Blake Taaffe when he returns from his serious knee injury.
But Sloan is capable of playing in a number of positions, too. However, he has recently been quoted as insisting his priority would be to remain with the Dragons if possible.
“I love this club, I’d do anything for the Red V. It’s home for me,” Sloan said. “I don’t want to leave, but I do know it’s a business. When I do wear that jersey, I just want to wear it with pride.
“I know there’s been a lot of history with myself being in and out of the team each week, but the boys are in a good space and I’m happy to support that whether I’m in the team or not.”
How he fits into Castleford
Sloan, if a deal could be agreed, would be their tenth and final overseas quota player and would be a significant move towards completing Carr’s squad for next year.
Damien Cook, Matt Feagai, Renouf Atoni, Blake Taaffe, Tom Weaver, Mikaele Ravalawa, Semi Valemei, Brock Greacen and Krystian Mapapalangi are all already under contract with the Tigers.
Sloan has been a regular at the Dragons in recent seasons, ever since making his NRL debut for the club in 2021. He has been with the Dragons for the entirety of his career to date.
However, he has made just six appearances in the NRL this season across a number of positions including fullback, centre and the interchange bench – leading to speculation he could be the next player to leave the Dragons ahead of a big rebuild there over the off-season.
But while Sloan has insisted he does want to stay, it appears that a move to Super League is now looming on the horizon with Castleford.
They have already been to the Dragons – Carr’s former club – on two occasions already for big-name signings with Cook and Feagai agreeing deals to join the Tigers in 2027.
And it now looks as though there could be a third player heading to West Yorkshire in the shape of Sloan.
The Tigers’ 2027 recruitment plans are almost complete, with players including Leigh duo Robbie Mulhern and Ben McNamara also agreeing deals to join Castleford.
