Paper Talk: Castleford eye Smith, Reserves to return, Summer Bash to be screened
We’ve had a look through this week’s trade papers.
Castleford target Smith
Prop forward Daniel Smith has signed for Castleford Tigers from Huddersfield Giants, report League Weekly.
Smith is a Castleford lad, having played for Lock Lane and is the older brother of Cameron Smith at Leeds Rhinos. He has spent the majority of this season on loan at Championship side Featherstone Rovers and was released by the Giants last week. League Weekly claim that Smith is on his way to the Tigers.
Reserves set for return
Mandatory reserve grade rugby could be set to move a step closer after plans were floated by the Rugby Football League for all clubs with the highest-ranking Academy status to run a second-string team as early as 2020, report League Express.
Clubs in the top-flight were last week informed of early-stage plans from the game’s governing body to finally take a significant step towards making reserves mandatory, according to League Express. The proposal involves any club with a Category 1 Academy (Wigan, St Helens, Warrington, Widnes, Castleford, Wakefield, Huddersfield, Bradford, Leeds, Catalans and the City of Hull) being made to run a reserve team from next year.
Dallas caught stealing shorts
Former Wigan Warriors star winger Brett Dallas is really down on his luck right now and has just pleaded guilty this past week of stealing four pairs of board shorts costing $150, report League Weekly.
Dallas was fined $600 and ordered to pay $129 restitution. He told Mackay Magistrates Court that he is currently living on $80 a week and claimed people kept stealing his money. League Weekly claim that following a split with his partner, Dallas was living on friends’ sofas.
Huddersfield keen to tie down duo
Simon Woolford has admitted that Huddersfield Giants are keen to secure the futures of Darnell McIntosh and Alex Mellor, report League Express.
The duo are off-contract at the end of the season and will be free to speak to other clubs in a month’s time. Woolford told League Express: “We obviously want to keep him [McIntosh], so hopefully that gets sorted sooner rather than later. Alex’s warming into the season and getting close to where he was last year. He’s another player we want to keep.”
Summer Bash to be televised
Sky Sports will screen all seven games at this year’s Summer Bash following successful talks between the broadcaster and the Rugby Football League, report League Weekly.
The news, which is expected to be confirmed this week, will provide a major boost for the Championship’s profile. The two-day extravaganza at Blackpool’s Bloomfield Road has been shown by Sky in previous seasons, but it wasn’t in the scheduled list of TV games when fixtures were first announced. According to League Weekly, all matches on the Lancashire seaside will be broadcast live.
Swinton move for Toronto forward falls through
Swinton Lions’ loan move for Toronto Wolfpack prop Olsi Krasniqi is off, report League Express.
The two clubs agreed a deal for the former Salford Red Devils man to spend a month with Stuart Littler’s squad, according to League Express. But the move is now off and Krasniqi could head elsewhere for first-team opportunities.
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