Reiss Butterworth with plenty to prove to Huddersfield Giants coach Woolford

Given veteran loose-forward/hooker Ryan Hinchcliffe has gone home to Melbourne, Huddersfield have had scope to strengthen in that area.

“With Hinchy retiring we have a space for a third hooker to put pressure on Adam (O’Brien) and Kruise (Leeming),” said Woolford, about the former Sharlston ARLFC junior.

“The coaches have been watching Reiss closely for a good while now both in the Bradford and Castleford Tigers academy as well as his spell at Batley Bulldogs.

“He’s a strong lad for his age with skills we feel we can build on if he’s prepared to work hard which – in the chats we’ve had – I reckon he’s up for.

“He’ll jump into training alongside the first-year professionals Olly Russell, Jake Wardle and the like and let’s see where he is in early January when the trial games come around.”

Butterworth joined Castleford on loan in July in a deal that saw prop James Green head to League 1 Bradford and he trained with their first-team while playing for the Tigers Under-19s.

Former Hull FC utility player Richard Whiting – the man affectionately known as Superman by Black and Whites fans – has announced his retirement from rugby league.

He played his final match for Toronto Wolfpack in Sunday’s Million Pound Game loss to London Broncos.

Whiting, 33, won the Challenge Cup with the Airlie Birds in 2005 and Super League’s Young Player of the Year after joining from hometown club Featherstone Rovers.

He went on to play more than 250 games for the club, becoming famed for his vast versatility, equally at home at second-row, centre, wing and even at half-back.

A skilled and always reliable professional, Whiting moved to Leigh Centurions in 2016 and spent the last two years with the Canadian franchise.