Eden is content to play out wide for Castleford

Greg Eden says he is happy to play as a winger for Castleford Tigers this year even though it is not his favourite position.
Greg Eden dives to score a try for Castleford Tigers in last months warm-up match with Wakefield Trinity (Picture: Allan McKenzie).Greg Eden dives to score a try for Castleford Tigers in last months warm-up match with Wakefield Trinity (Picture: Allan McKenzie).
Greg Eden dives to score a try for Castleford Tigers in last months warm-up match with Wakefield Trinity (Picture: Allan McKenzie).

Eden – who has returned to the club after spells at Huddersfield Giants, Hull KR, Salford and Brisbane Broncos – would prefer to be at full-back.

But he knows displacing former Man of Steel Zak Hardaker will not be easy.

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Ben Roberts is also able to slot in as the last line of defence and Eden insisted he will not have a problem if he starts on a wing in Friday’s Betfred Super League round one game at home to Leigh Centurions.

“I am happy to play either,” Eden stressed. “I prefer to play full-back, but we’ve got such strong competition at this club, there’s three good players all fighting for that spot.

“If there’s a couple of inuries one of us will step in there, but until that happens I am happy to play elsewhere.

“It is not really a bad thing playing on the wing, it’s just not my preferred position, but I am happy doing either-or.”

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Eden made two Super League appearances for Tigers in 2011 and said he “can’t wait” to make his Jungle comeback in two days.

“It should be a packed house and a good atmosphere,” he predicted. “With it being the first game everyone will be a bit giddy and wanting to get back down here.

“I have missed playing here, it is nice to be back and with it being my first game back down at Cas I am pretty excited about it.”

There is a feeling of anticipation around Castleford and Eden is confident Tigers are ready for a big season.

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He added: “I think everyone’s pretty confident and we all believe we are better than the team was this time last year. If that comes off and everyone’s thinking correctly it should be an exciting year for us.”

A good start is crucial, but Eden insisted Tigers cannot take promoted Leigh lightly.

Friday’s game will be their first in Super League since 2005. They lost only three times in all competitions last year and Eden warned: “They are going to come out all guns blazing. We are expecting quite a lot from them.

“It depends how they gel as a new team, but we have to keep composed and stick in through the tough battle we know we’re going to get.

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“They are going to want to show everyone what they’re made of and why they’ve been promoted so it should be a good test for us.”

Former Castleford winger James Clare will not face his former team and is facing a long lay-off after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury in Leigh’s pre-season win over Dewsbury Rams last month.

England forward Mike Cooper has expressed his fears for the future of Super League on the eve of the new season.

Cooper, who has rejoined his home-town club Warrington after a three-year stint in the NRL, is a passionate believer in Super League, arguing that the skills levels are just as good. But he says the growing chasm in wages puts the English game at a major disadvantage when it comes to attracting and retaining top talent.

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Wigan duo Joe Burgess and Thomas Leuluai and Castleford pair Greg Eden and Zak Hardaker have all followed Cooper back from Australia for 2017.

But there are just six fresh faces from the NRL in Matt Parcell (Leeds), Jesse Sene-Lefao (Castleford), Jake Mamo (Huddersfield), Brayden Wiliame (Catalans) and Luke Douglas and Ryan Morgan (both St Helens) and Cooper says there is a simple explanation.

“In 2018, they reckon the salary cap in Australia could go to $10m, compared to our £1.8m and we just can’t compete with that,” said Cooper, who took a pay cut to bring his young family back to England.

“I have a real fear that once that salary cap kicks in, you will see less players coming over here so we’re going to have to do something about that. I don’t know if increasing the salary cap is the right thing to do for all the teams but the average wage over there is a couple of hundred thousand more than it is over here.”

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“Money talks doesn’t it? Is it going to be an option for people to stay in Super League or go over to the NRL where they can double or treble their wage? The reality is that they’re going to go, aren’t they?

“I don’t know where this game is going to end up. Not every team is as fortunate as Warrington, who can afford to keep a top squad together and fund top facilities because we’ve got a very wealthy backer and that’s not the case with all Super League teams.

“It’s a bit of a worry, what’s going to happen to Super League.”

Cooper’s comments come as the Rugby Football League edge closer to introducing central contracts for elite players.

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The governing body have revealed they already pay one player, thought to be Leeds and England centre Kallum Watkins, to perform an ambassadorial role and are lining up three more for this season, although central contracts would replace those commercial deals.

Meanwhile, Cooper says his three-year stint with St George Illawarra has made him a more rounded player as he prepares to begin his second spell with the Wolves.