Rugby League star Joe Westerman speaks out on video shame and impact on season

17 August 2023 , 19:40

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Castleford Tigers loose forward Joe Westerman (Image: Greig Cowie/REX/Shutterstock)

Joe Westerman is ready to put a difficult year behind him by firing Castleford to safety - and can’t even contemplate relegation.

The ex-England loose forward hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons when a leaked lewd video of him went viral just a week before this Super League campaign began. And it’s been hard-going on the field since with the turmoiled Tigers picking up just four wins all year. With only six games now remaining, they are joint-bottom with fierce foes Wakefield who they visit in a crunch relegation contest on Friday.

In his first interview since his shameful drunken behaviour, Westerman told Mirror Sport about how he dealt with the very public fall-out and admitted: “The first few weeks were tough. It was a massive mistake on my front, a stupid drunken mistake which shouldn’t have happened. Rugby-wise, I put it to one side and I think I’ve played some of my best rugby again.

“I’m pretty good at leaving stuff off the field when I walk over that line. But it’s made me have to re-evaluate a lot of things. I am happier off the field and my kids seem happier which is important as it was hard on them. And it’s very amicable at the moment (with ex-wife).”

Westerman, 33, is confident the club can turn things around as the relegation battle intensifies. New coach Danny Ward takes charge on Friday for the first time since being parachuted in with just six games to go. He could give a debut to ex-Leeds stand-off Blake Austin against a resurgent Wakefield side.

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All the talk is of similarities with the famous 2006 Battle of Belle Vue when Castleford lost a do-or-die relegation shoot-out at Trinity. Westerman, who has represented both clubs, recalled: “I signed full-time with Cas in 2006. I was only 16 but [coach] Terry Matterson had said, if we beat Salford the week before, I’d make my debut in that game at Wakefield because we’d be safe.

“But we lost, we went down and I played my first game in the Championship. Friday is going to be massive for the club. As a player knowing there’s a chance if you lose you might get relegated, especially for me with my hometown club, it’s massive.

Castleford Tigers' Joe Westerman, right, with Kenny Edwards after a rare win at Magic Weekend (Anna Gowthorpe/REX/Shutterstock)

"I was crying when we went down in 2006 and I wasn’t even playing so to be a part of a team that gets relegated isn’t worth thinking about. But I am confident we can get the job done. The team that we’ve got is massively under-achieving by the standards we have on paper. I’m confident if we turn up one to 17 we can do it.”

And Ward, who was in the Castleford side that suffered that relegation in 2006, has already had a positive influence. Westerman said: “He’s brought some desire. He’s played at the club before and knows what it’s about here. He’s been good for us. It’s just trying to get that bit of attitude and feeling for playing for Cas. We’re looking forward to getting out there.”

But the ex-Warrington and Hull star is well aware of how Wakefield have turned their season around to give themselves a real chance of survival. Buoyed by the signings of stars like David Fifita and Luke Gale, they have won four of their last seven games after a horrible run of 14 straight defeats. Castleford, in contrast, have lost their last five and won just twice in 14 outings, which resulted in Andy Last’s sacking after their last defeat against Huddersfield.

Joe Westerman scoring for Wakefield in 2021 (PA)

Westerman played for Wakefield in 2020 and 2021, delivering such good form that he earned a recall to the England squad after a seven-year absence. He returned to Wheldon Road season but said: “Wakey have improved massively. I loved my time there. I made a lot of mates, got on with all the board and it was a great time. It’s just a shame for me that, with it being a team so close to Cas and a derby, that unfortunately one of us has to go down. It’s upsetting for Yorkshire rugby league as well.”

Westerman, who chalked up his 400th career game earlier this year, is out of contract at the end of the season. He hopes to remain with Castleford, where he’s made more than 125 appearances, but admitted: “We’re all playing for our futures. If you get relegated it’s null and void. I’d love to stay at Cas - it’s where I want to finish - but we’ll have to see where we are at the end of this season. First up, we’re just looking at putting in a performance at Wakefield.”

David Craven