All change for returning Boyle as Tigers set sights on Salford

No sooner had Ian Millward signed Ryan Boyle for Castleford Tigers from Salford City Reds –with Jake Emmitt going the other way – and the head coach was heading for the exit door.

The burly prop made his second debut for his hometown club in the 40-24 loss against Huddersfield Giants yet, barely 48 hours later, the man who brought him in was sacked, replaced by assistant Danny Orr on a caretaker basis.

“It was all a bit strange,” Boyle admitted to the Yorkshire Post.

“I’d only been here a couple of days and then he’d gone.

“He seemed like a good bloke, too, but the club did what it had to do.

“Danny is well respected by all the boys and he laid down what he wanted from each of us.

“We all seem to be buying into that and have played well since.

“We got the win over Widnes and had a real good chance of winning at Leeds last week.

“The effort there was outstanding but it just got away from us in the end and they were a little more clinical.”

The confidence garnered from those last two performances – Castleford led after an hour in their Challenge Cup game at Headingley last Friday before eventually losing 28-12 – has certainly done much to revive spirits at the West Yorkshire club.

Boyle has played a significant part himself. It may have been one of Millward’s last acts in a difficult 18-month spell in charge at Wheldon Road but the gutsy forward’s acquisition has, undoubtedly, been a good bit of business.

His work-rate, desire and power in the middle of the park has helped shore up a problem area for a side that had previously lost seven successive matches.

“I’m enjoying being back,” he said, having originally left Castleford for Salford at the end of 2009.

“It’s always easier when you know a lot of the players and I’ve settled back in really well.

“I feel comfortable here and the coach seems pretty pleased with how I’m playing.

“I’m happy with my position in the middle; I’ve just got to rip in every game and do my job which is making tackles and doing my runs and hopefully I’ll get the respect of the boys.”

A quirk of the fixture calender sees the 25 year-old make a swift return to Salford this evening.

“It’s probably the biggest game of the season so far and a must-win really for both sides,” added Boyle, who made more than 70 appearances for the City Reds.

“I’ve a lot of friends still there who I still speak to daily and I can’t wait to go up against them.”

Both with just two wins all year, Castleford are only above their bottom-placed hosts courtesy of a superior points difference heading into the televised tie.

While the visitors are still awaiting confirmation about their new coach, Salford – with millionaire owner Marwan Koukash seeing his bold plans start to come to fruition – have ex-Bradford Bulls and Great Britain chief Brian Noble taking charge for the first time.

Boyle has a better insight than most into the opposition especially those colleagues he shared a car with for so long commuting across the M62 from their West Yorkshire homes.

“That travelling over did become a bit of a bind,” admitted a player who remained residing in Castleford throughout his three-and-a-half year stretch at Salford.

“It’s a long time to be in the car every day but we had a good laugh. There was Wagga (Wayne Godwin), Ashley Gibson, Jodie Broughton, Danny Williams and then Ryan McGoldrick too.

“We kept it entertaining and – on the field – of those lot I know if we give Jodie Broughton any space on Saturday he’ll take it.

“He is so fast but Wagga at hooker is playing his best football for a while too and he has been Salford’s best performer this season.

“With him being a Cas lad also you’d expect him to play well Saturday night and, obviously, it’s Noble’s first game as boss as well so we know they’ll be fired up.

“Salford seem to be a club on the up and it’s probably what rugby league needs, people like Marwan getting involved.

“But we’re going there to get a win ourselves and know we’ve been getting better.”

Boyle – whose spirited performances mirror those of Dean Sampson and Adrian Vowles, the Castleford players he grew up watching – has signed until the end of 2014.

But he also has eyes on something else at the end of this year.

“I’ve not played with Ireland for the last two years as me and my missus had a child together,” he explained.

“But I’m looking forward to hopefully being involved again as it is World Cup year and I’m up for selection.

“I’ve spoken to (coach) Mark Aston briefly and he knows I’m available.

“He’ll be naming his World Cup squad soon and I want to do all I can to make sure I get in there.

“That means playing well each week with Cas.”

And what of Rangi Chase, the mercurial England half-back who has played what he thought was his last game for the club in each of the last two weeks?

The planned move to NRL club St George-Illawarra has still not materialised and, to the delight of Tigers fans, he is expected to line up again for Castleford this evening.

“Up to now he’s a Cas player,” said Boyle. “He comes in, does his training and gives everything.

“Nothing gets said about it and at the end of the day this is his job.

“It’s been a normal week for us and nothing has changed.

“I was still here when he came in (2009) for his first season.

“He was awesome to play with back then and he’s only got better since.

“It’s a privilege to play with Rangi for as long as I do.”

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