Castleford fans told by Burrow to forget pub talk

Bearing in mind that record currently stands at 152, you see just how familiar the little hooker is with the regular rumour-mongering.

The fact he hails from Castleford and still lives in the town seems to have historically given supporters an unshakeable belief the England international will imminently – always imminently – be swapping the glittering limelight of Leeds for their grittier West Yorkshire neighbours.

It matters little that Burrow, now in his 13th season at Headingley, has only ever played for Rhinos, where he has won six Grand Finals, three World Club Challenges, two Harry Sunderland Trophies and is fast approaching 400 games in the blue and amber.

Leeds will officially confirm today that a new deal will take him up to 2015, but Burrow’s contract was due up at the end of this season and fans will have noted this and that Castleford seem set to lose their own enigmatic England half-back, Rangi Chase, to the NRL any day now.

With the famous derby rivals meeting in the Tetley’s Challenge Cup tonight – the one trophy still eluding Burrow with Leeds, having lost in the last three finals – he is fully expecting another ear-bashing from the locals.

“That Cas rumour is probably due to come out now again, isn’t it?” he joked.

“There’s never been any truth in it, never been anything in it. When I’m massaging people who are Cas fans and they mention it, I say, ‘Look, you can hear what your mate says in the pub or you can listen to me now’.

“You either believe him or believe me. I’ve heard it loads of times. I’ve also heard, ‘Kevin Sinfield’s doing this’. And I say, ‘Well I know him really well’.

“The worst bit is they probably believe the bloke in the pub. ‘He knows for a fact’ or ‘I know for a fact’. Someone even once said ‘I’ve seen you signed the papers’.

“You just say, ‘Well, okay then’.”

Mention there of ‘massaging’ might seem a little peculiar, but Burrow is, in fact, a qualified sports masseur and has been working at his wife’s physiotherapy practice in Pontefract for the last five years.

Juggling that with life as a professional sportsman, he is clearly as busy and hyper off the pitch as he is on it. It is no surprise he was sipping espresso during this interview.

Burrow, the elusive, lightning-quick converted scrum-half, and his Leeds colleagues will no doubt require all the energy they can muster to thwart Castleford at Headingley having already lost against them in February.

Tigers did see coach Ian Millward sacked last week after seven successive losses, but were immediately re-energised by Danny Orr, the temporary coach and erstwhile half-back not long retired himself from playing.

They ended that dismal run with a stirring victory over Widnes on Saturday and Burrow, 30, added: “I’m really chuffed they got the win and for Danny.

“They needed that. The club’s going through a lot at the moment and with a coach going it makes it tough for them, but it makes them very dangerous.

“They’ve nothing to lose and, as we know, games against Cas are always difficult. They’ll see this as a marker to kick-start their year.”

Leeds are mindful, too, that Castleford still hold painful memories of a dramatic golden point Challenge Cup semi-final defeat two years ago.

“You never forget games like that,” admitted Burrow, who watched as a penalty from Leeds captain Sinfield in extra time broke Tigers hearts.

With ongoing financial difficulties, troubling stadium issues, speculation about star players departing and a third different chief executive inside just 12 months, there are concerns Castleford – one of the sport’s traditional names – might not secure a Super League licence next time around.

For all Burrow was a Leeds fan growing up, his father being a Loiner, he dreads that.

He said: “It’s my town and I know it means a lot to them. I hate to see them in trouble.

“My neighbour is a big Cas fan so we talk rugby all the time so I hope something gets sorted quickly.

“I’ve only heard rumours, but everyone sees Cas as a real rugby league team and it means so much to the town to have a healthy, strong, competitive side.

“I hope they get the RFL backing all the other teams who have been in that situation received.”

Chase, the vastly-talented former Man of Steel expected to rejoin St George-Illawarra, has been named in Orr’s 19-man squad. Tigers insist he will play, but it is likely to be his final game for a club he has enriched so vividly since joining in 2008. Burrow said: “He’s a world-class player for England as well as Cas now. He’d be a major loss; he’s the backbone of everything Cas do. I’ve got to know him and am good mates with him now.

“We meet for coffee and he lives only a mile from me. He’s a really good bloke and it’d be a shame for the league to lose him.”

With many star players heading to the NRL, it begs the question would Burrow contemplate rounding off his glittering career at, if not Wheldon Road, then in Australia perhaps?

“I’m to old and it’s not something I’ve ever fancied,” he said, Leeds coach Brian McDermott clarifying he will be at Headingley until the end of 2015. “I’d like the firm ground, but the heat wouldn’t suit me.”