Castleford Tigers sign Alex Mellor from Leeds Rhinos with immediate effect as player reveals why he moved

Castleford Tigers have completed a surprise swoop for Leeds forward Alex Mellor with immediate effect. Mellor joins the Tigers on a deal until the end of the 2024 season and will link up with Lee Radford’s side this week.

He could make his debut for the club against Catalans Dragons on Sunday, capping a whirlwind few days for the player. Mellor had been expected to sign for Castleford in 2023 upon the expiry of his deal with the Rhinos, but that move has now been accelerated forward.

Surplus to requirements at the Rhinos, the former Huddersfield forward has made the move across West Yorkshire now, rather than at the end of the current Super League season.

He said: “It feels good, it’s been a bit of a long process getting things sorted, so to finally have it all figured out is a good feeling. Back-row suits my play style, I think I’m a bloke who is going to put his head down and work hard for you, come up with some plays when I need to but put the team first and do every little thing I can to make the team better.”

Mellor also cited the opportunity to play under Tigers head coach Radford as a major reason for him making the switch to Castleford. “It’s good to be a part of it, you look at some of the signings that we’ve made and the prospects we’ve got for next year, it is really exciting.

"It is not one of those places that you come and aim for mid-table, this is one of those places where we want to be up the table and push. Looking at the signings and the squad we’re building, it’s definitely something we can do.

“Lee Radford is a big reason, I sat down with him the first time and felt comfortable around him and liked what he had to say, his persona, how he viewed things in rugby. I think the first time we met it wasn’t