Where Are They Now? The last Super League game played before lockdown

It is five years ago this week since the country was plunged into lockdown chaos: something Super League fans will remember all too well.

But before the streets were deserted and we were all told to stay at home, Super League made headlines by being the last sport left standing – epitomised by a game on Sky Sports between Castleford Tigers and St Helens.

The Tigers won that game 28-14 but less than 24 hours later, the RFL confirmed the season would be suspended: it wouldn’t return until August.

Here is the Castleford team from that day – but what happened to them next?

Jordan Rankin

The fullback would depart Castleford pretty soon after the game was shutdown, returning to Australia and ultimately agreeing a mutual release from his deal in May of 2020.

Derrell Olpherts

Olpherts would remain with Castleford through to the end of the 2022 season and while he has remained in West Yorkshire ever since, it has been with a plethora of different clubs.

Olpherts spent a solitary season with Leeds before making the move to Wakefield to join their push for promotion from the Championship. He then left Trinity at the end of the season to sign for Featherstone Rovers.

Peter Mata’utia

Mata’utia, one of the try-scorers that day for Castleford, remained with Castleford until the end of the 2021 season before switching to Warrington Wolves in 2022.

He retired at the end of the 2023 season and returned to Australia. He is currently playing lower-grade rugby league back home.

Michael Shenton

Shenton is one of several players from this Castleford team – including the head coach! – who has subsequently switched to Wakefield Trinity in the present day.

The legendary Tigers captain would retire at the end of 2021 before beginning his coaching career with Hull FC. However, he returned to West Yorkshire to link up with Daryl Powell at Wakefield: where he remains today as the club’s assistant coach.

James Clare

Clare had two stints with his hometown club, the second of which came to an end at the culmination of the 2022 Super League season.

He retired at the end of that year, and began a career in teaching locally in Castleford.

Jake Trueman

Trueman enjoyed great success at Castleford, earning international recognition with Great Britain in the process, before leaving the club at the end of 2022 to join Hull FC.

However, injuries prevented Trueman from truly hitting top form and at the end of last year, he was granted a release to sign for Wakefield and link back up with Powell in Super League.

Danny Richardson

Richardson remained with Castleford all the way through to last year – when he left midway through the season to sign for Hull KR on a season-long loan which became permanent going into 2025.

He had a short stint on loan at Huddersfield at the beginning of this year, but is now back with the Rovers squad.

Liam Watts

Watts, up until a few weeks ago, was one of only two players still at Castleford from the team that day in March 2020.

However, he has now joined Hull FC after a surprise and sudden exit from the Tigers.

Paul McShane

McShane enjoyed huge success at Castleford, winning the Man of Steel award in the 2020 season and establishing himself as one of Super League’s best hookers.

He left at the end of last season to continue his career in the Championship with York Knights.

George Griffin

Griffin joined Castleford at the beginning of 2020 from Salford: and he is the only player from the 17 that day against St Helens to still be with the club.

Cheyse Blair

The Australian signed for Castleford in 2019 and would go on to make over 50 appearances for the Tigers before leaving at the end of 2022 and retiring from the professional game.

Blair is now back at home in Australia with his young family.

Mike McMeeken

McMeeken has gone on to enjoy amazing success in the sport since leaving Castleford. He would become one of Super League’s standout props during a stellar spell with Catalans, earning England recognition in the process.

He’s back in England in 2025 – and he’s another who is with Wakefield, excelling as their captain following Trinity’s return to Super League.

Nathan Massey

Massey looked destined to be a one-club man at Castleford, making over 300 appearances for the club. However, he joined Featherstone in 2024 and spent one season there before retiring from the professional game.

Grant Millington

Arguably one of Castleford’s finest-ever overseas imports, Millington had a stellar spell at the Tigers through to the end of the 2021 season. He then returned to Australia to play lower-grade rugby.

Adam Milner

Milner, like Massey, looked as though he would spend his entire career with Castleford before a surprise mid-season move to Huddersfield in 2023. That became permanent in 2024, though Milner left at the end of last year to join ambitious Championship club Oldham.

Jesse Sene-Lefao

Sene-Lefao left Sheffield Eagles on the eve of the 2025 season – he returned to Australia.

Daniel Smith

Smith was due to spend the 2025 season with Bradford Bulls, but he was granted a release from his contract in November due to work commitments, subsequently hanging up his boots in the process.

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