Hull FC v Castleford Tigers: Andy Lynch will take his time over decision on future

The 37-year-old is set to face former club Hull FC tomorrow having chalked up 441 Super League games – just 13 behind all-time leader Kevin Sinfield.

Lynch will be out of contract at the end of the season, but insists he has not yet thought about whether to continue in 2018.

“People have called me the oldest player in the comp’ and the only player born in the 1970s,” conceded Lynch.

“But we’ll take it one week at a time; (conditioner) Ben Cooper has been good with looking after us older players here and the coaches do it, too. That’s been a massive help.

“We’ll see how things are at the end of the year; I’m not even thinking about it and there’s no rash decisions being made yet.”

Certainly, when Hull agreed to allow Lynch to return to his first club Castleford at the end of 2013, they must have – at 34 – thought they had seen the best of the former Great Britain front-row.

However, he helped Tigers to Wembley in his first season back and is still a real force as Daryl Powell’s side ride high at the top of Super League.

“There’s no hard feelings from when I left Hull,” insisted Lynch, who captained FC after moving there in a £100,00 deal from Bradford Bulls at the end of 2012.

“Castleford approached me and at the time they offered me a two-year deal Hull said they couldn’t guarantee that. I had a year left, but had a hand injury and with the salary cap and things like that…

“They said it was my call over whether to go and they wouldn’t stand in my way.”

Lynch was rested for two games before returning in the win over Wakefield and featuring again on Monday when Castleford fell 26-22 at St Helens, just their second loss of the season.

“I think it was an attitude thing at Saints; we were a bit off and they were more desperate than us to win,” added Lynch.

“Hull is a massive game to get back on track. It’s great to go back, but we know it’ll be tough and we have to try silence their crowd.”