Wardle is looking forward to ‘getting back home’
NEW signing Joe Wardle says finding “happiness” was the most important reason for leaving the NRL for Castleford Tigers.
The Scotland international will join the West Yorkshire club on a three-year deal from 2018.
He made more than 140 appearances for Huddersfield Giants, establishing himself as one of Super League’s best centre/second-rows, before moving to Newcastle Knights last autumn.
Yorkshireman Wardle, 25, has made 15 appearances for the club, where he linked with his former Huddersfield chief Nathan Brown, but struggled to settle to life in Australia and has cut short his stay.
Instead, he will join the newlycrowned League Leaders’ Shield winners and bolster Daryl Powell’s already excellent squad.
“I would just like to say thank you to Newcastle for working alongside me in what has been a hard time adjusting to life down under,” explained Halifax-born Wardle, who started out his career at Bradford Bulls.
“Rugby careers are short so happiness is key and sometimes things don’t work out, which is unfortunately the case.
“I am really looking forward to getting back home, getting my family settled and teaming up with Daryl and the rest of the boys for the 2018 campaign.”
Castleford already have England second-row Mike McMeeken plus long-serving Oli Holmes and surprise signing Alex Foster in their ranks.
But Powell said: “Joe Wardle is a player that I have been a fan of for a number of years since his time at Huddersfield.
“I’m delighted that on returning to England he’s decided we are the club to help him achieve his goals in the game. He is a tough player on both sides of the game being a great line runner on attack and a solid, aggressive defender.
“He can play in centre and back-row, which strengthens us significantly and grows our competition for places within an already awesome squad. I look forward to his arrival and getting him accustomed to how we play.”