Guest column – Paul Jackson: Finally time to be a grown-up as I bid Super League farewell

He said he’s got a few offers on the table for me – but he’s not telling me who just yet.

We’re going to sit down at the end of the month and go through them all together to see what’s the best option.

It’s looking like a Championship club. I don’t think there’s been any interest from any other Super League teams.

That’s not to say I don’t think I could do another year in the top division – I feel like I could as I’ve got a lot left in me.

But, obviously, I’m getting on a bit now and have been full-time for 15 or 16 years.

Sunday’s going to be my last home game at Castleford and, after next week, I know my time in Super League will be up.

That also means I’m having to look at the job market and seeing what I could fit in to.

It’s a whole different world now; rugby has been my life for so long but now I have to look at different avenues.

It’s exciting and I am looking forward to a different challenge but it’s also nerve-wracking at the same time.

I know I should be more prepared for this – I am 33 – but it’s true that I don’t really know what I want to do.

I’ve always laughed and joked about not knowing what I want to be when I grow up. Well, now, I’m going to be grown up. But I’ll work hard in whatever I do and I did work before I turned to rugby.

I was a mechanic, a builder and a few other things but the jobs market has changed since the last time I was in it and I know it’s tough times when it comes to getting them now.

First of all, given training commitments and stuff like that, I need to know which team I’m actually playing for in 2013 and where it is before I can establish what sort of job I could do.

The Championship will be good next season. There’s a lot of players in there who could probably play Super League but maybe have got a good profession and prefer to play part-time.

A lot have stepped up and done well, though, while the standard of the Championship has really improved in recent years.

As for Sunday’s game, we’ve got Catalan Dragons down at the Probiz Coliseum in what is sure to be an emotional affair as there are a few of us moving on.

I’ll just look to do my stuff and take it all in.

It is going to be a sad day as there are a lot of people leaving this Cas’ side and a few are retiring too.

Knowing it’s the last game I’ll play down there probably won’t hit me until we’re all walking around at the end but I’m looking forward to the game.

We’ve been working hard in training and putting a few things together.

It’s great to have Rangi (Chase) back and Daz Clark too who has worked really hard to get fit in time for these last couple of rounds. With strike players like those two, and Jamie Ellis back from his ban too, we’ll be really dangerous if we can get all three on the field at once.

We don’t see any reason why we can’t go on and do a job against Catalan and sign off on a high.

As for me, my career highlights have to be the two Challenge Cup Finals I played in with Huddersfield Giants and also – something which was absolutely unreal – playing a World Cup with Scotland in Australia.

They are the ones that really stick out but I’ve some really fond memories in Super League with Cas’, Huddersfield and Wakefield.

And there’s plenty more good times ahead wherever I end up.

Interview by Dave Craven