Castleford Tigers lift curtain on pre-season as veteran proves enduring fitness

After all, the 33-year-old is a prop with 309 games on the clock dating back to 2007.

But behind the scenes the veteran front-rower is putting his younger team-mates to shame.

The Tigers lifted the curtain on their pre-season preparations this morning and Massey's performance in a dreaded fitness test underlined why he is still at the top of the game 15 years on from his debut.

The Castleford-born forward was touted as one of the fittest at the club – along with Alex Mellor and Jake Mamo – before the aptly-named Mass Running and he did not disappoint.

The drill, which only formed part of the field session, sees the players run to the 40-metre line and back inside 20 seconds before a 10-second rest.

After eight repetitions, they play a conditioning game non-stop for four minutes before completing the same drill twice more.

Whereas some of his team-mates were visibly hurting, Massey glided through the drills and had enough in the tank to cajole the rest of the squad.

Even in his 16th pre-season, the front-rower is setting the standard and leading from the front.

At the end of each game, the top three and bottom three performers are revealed.

It was no surprise to hear Massey's name at the end of game three but the experienced campaigner appears to have strong competition moving forward in the shape of new boy Elliot Wallis.

The City of Hull Academy product earned a place in Castleford's first-team squad for 2023 through his performances for the reserves.

Wallis trained like a man determined to take his second chance in Super League after making six appearances for Hull KR.

The 22-year-old was among the top performers after game one and stayed in the top three throughout the session.

He was joined by former Rovers team-mate George Lawler after games one and two, with Jordan Turner, Mellor and youngster George Hill also enjoying stints in the top three.

Mellor, like Massey, handled everything the coaches threw at him with consummate ease.

The back-rower has quickly established himself as a leader since swapping Leeds Rhinos for Castleford midway through last season.

That was evident at the end of game two when Jason Qareqare was still among the worst performers, with Mellor making it clear to the 18-year-old that he was better than that.

The result was an escape from the bottom three for Qareqare by the end of the third and final drill, a sure-fire sign that he got the message.

The talented teenager is fighting for a place going into 2023 – and he is certainly not alone.

On the face of it, Lee Radford has a stronger squad for next season after recruiting the likes of Gareth Widdop and Jacob Miller.

Albert Vete has also linked up with the Tigers after a two-year stint at Hull KR but he is behind his new team-mates at the start of pre-season due to a freak injury.

After a trip to the barber, the prop was left with a bad cut which became infected to continue his luckless start to life in Super League.

Another player desperate for a change in fortune is young half-back Callum McLelland who has not played since August 2021.

The 23-year-old is back in training and has a smile on his face again as he looks to put his injury nightmare behind him.

Thursday's field session – bookended by separate stints in the gym for the forwards and backs – was just a snapshot of what pre-season looks like for a Super League player.

Radford's men must negotiate another two and a half months before they begin their 2023 Super League campaign at Hull FC.

If they start the season with a bang, the gruelling sessions at Aspire at The Park in Pontefract will soon be forgotten.