01 December 2023 , 22:31
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The Castleford band is back together - but surreally in the colours of arch-rivals Wakefield.
There’s a renaissance going on at Belle Vue. Trinity have been relegated from Super League but you won’t find them moping. It started with local millionaire businessman Matt Ellis' takeover of the West Yorkshire club last month. His first appointment was ex-Castleford boss Daryl Powell, tasked with plotting an immediate return from the Championship.
To do that, Powell has turned to a raft of his trusty former Tigers staff who famously helped Castleford finish top of Super League in 2017 and make a maiden Grand Final.
Back then, Michael Shenton was Tigers captain but is now Powell’s assistant after leaving his role as Hull’s head of emerging talent. However, physio Matt Crowther has also switched from Wheldon Road while ex-Tigers head of strength and conditioning Ben Cooper and chief analyst Ste Mills have also linked up with Powell again.
And scrum-half Luke Gale, who won the 2017 Man of Steel under Powell at Castleford, was already on Wakefield’s books. Former England centre Shenton, who’s a Castleford legend after playing almost 350 games for them, didn’t envisage any of it.
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He said: "This isn’t something that was on the radar at all for me. I was very content with what I was doing [at Hull]. I’ve ambitions as a young coach and you have to wait for those right opportunities to come along.
"When Daryl brought it to me, I was a little sceptical as Wakefield had been relegated. It was a big decision. But when he started talking about the people he was bringing on board and things started happening, it made that decision a lot easier.
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"We’re all people who love a challenge. Building something from the ground up and the backing Matt [Ellis] was talking about, it doesn’t get much more exciting."
Trinity have already sold almost 5,000 season tickets - more than when they were in the Super League - but has he received much stick for his big switch? Shenton, 37, said: "I don’t put myself on social media deliberately! There’s been little bits from friends.
"Obviously I spent so long at Cas. Hull weren’t considered a massive rival but Cas and Wakey is a big rivalry and I was part of that. I had years of competing against Wakey and we went on such a good run against them - we used to pride ourselves on winning that game - so it is a little weird. But it’s exciting. And we can’t wait to go in 2024."