No horsing around now for Cas star

IT is easy to conjure up an image of Mick ‘Crocodile’ Dundee at Walkabout Creek.

The population of Trangie, the tiny town in the Narronine region of New South Wales from where Castleford Tigers winger Justin Carney hails, is 866 according to Wikepedia.

Will any of the locals be tuning in today to see him take on Leeds Rhinos at Wembley?

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“I haven’t been in contact with them which is pretty dismal for myself,” said Carney, who draws some parrallels with Jamie Sandy, the little-known Australian winger who scored a brilliant try the last time Castleford lifted the Challenge Cup in 1986.

“I am sure they will all be at the pub cheering me on. If you blink when you drive through the town you have missed it though. We are pretty isolated.

“A lot of people have heard of Trangie but only because it is on a direct route from Sydney to Broken Hill.”

Carney, 26, added: “I used to play for Nyngan Tigers which is about an hour away – I have stuck with the Tigers theme!

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“Nyngan gave me my first shot when I was about 14. I left it a bit because I was going round with the horse circuit.

“I always enjoyed the sport because my mates were involved and went back when I was about 16, left it again and went back when I was about 18 to try and have a good go of it.

“All my mates lived out there and we all rode horses and messed around with pig chasing. All that kind of stuff.

“We didn’t win many games but we loved it because we were all mates. I still keep in touch with a lot of those.

“We had our biggest games when we came to State events.

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“They were awesome; people came off with blood and everything. It was brutal.

“Eventually, I had to decide horses or footie. I’d done horses since I was five and wanted a change. It brought me here.”

And for that, Castleford fans are forever grateful.

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