On current form JW should be in and he's playing a game at LF that nobody else offers, linking the forwards and backs seamlessly. That said I think Knowles will probably get the LF berth with Bateman and Whitehead 2nd rows...would love to be proven wrong tho and hope his current form and fitness lasts for as long as he stays at BV
As far as McMeeken, I acknowledge his shortcomings, as pointed out by several posters on this thread and admit that he needs to continue his current form throughout the season but if he does he could well have a role to play as an impact bench player...in much the same way as Cohen Hess was used by N QLd Cowboys when he first broke through

Wow 30% is a big difference! Hopefully one final decent deal will sway him to stay with us as he has been by far our best player in my opinion, a ball handling loose forward of his calibre is a rare commodity, he’s properly become a pillar of our team in attack and defence!!

That's a weird combination of first and second names!

I know what you mean. Seems strange with the famous Hess being who he is but I looked it up once and Hess is actually a surname that just references a place in southern Germany.
Like someone being called Wakefield, or Brough or Chester.

Before 1930s there was a large Jewish population in Germany so the names would go together.

Saying all that, I'm not sure how that surname was passed down to family in Queensland. No German connections there.

Confirmed for next year.

Castleford Tigers are thrilled to announce Joe Westerman has signed a two-year deal with the Club from the 2022 season!

Going to take some replacing.

Yeah he’s been great for us but I thought Arona always did a good job at 13. Not forgetting Brad Walker.

we lost another player who has been our best

Can’t replace him I’m afraid , very few ball playing loose forwards of his Caliber about and even rarer at a price we can afford . But we regroup and move on and thank him for his time with us , which has been special .

Can't blame him for taking the option of a two year deal especially at the club where it all started for him. Would love to read up some posts from a couple of years ago when it first came to light that he was leaving Hull to join us. I'll bet not many expected him to achieve these current dizzy heights.

We haven't "lost him" - he decided to go back to his first club.
Don't think he would have stayed with that opportunity.