Opportunity knocks once again for Finn to blossom at top level

There is no shame in that. The wily scrum-half has been a star of the Championship for the best part of the last decade, especially in a prolific, trophy-laden second spell with Featherstone Rovers.

Furthermore, of course, he led Ireland against the might of England and Australia in the World Cup last autumn. Not bad for an electrician from Halifax.

However, having last played Super League briefly for Wakefield in 2004, his second chance at the elite has come in the shape of an unexpected 12-month contract with their rivals Castleford Tigers.

He had blossomed under their coach, the ex-Great Britain stand-off Daryl Powell, during four insightful years at Featherstone.

Powell left Post Office Road last May and, when his replacement John Bastian bizarrely decided he did not want the Featherstone captain, Finn was allowed to exit too by “mutual consent” in December, a year still on his deal.

Castleford quickly snapped him up but the player insists nothing had been pre-ordained.

“I was released by Featherstone and just happened to speak to Daryl about the whole situation,” he recalled to the Yorkshire Post.

“Obviously he’s concerned about what’s been going on with his ex-players and he’s been very good with people at Featherstone; I suppose in a way he’s got a duty of care over there.

“We had a chat and he asked if I fancied having a crack at it (Super League).

“It took me about half a second to say ‘yes’ and then find out what was going on, get a concrete offer and ring work to say I’m finishing and hope they understand. They were great and that was it.”

He knows it is a bold step at this juncture of his career, but the ex-Dewsbury Rams star would never forgive himself for not taking it.

More pertinently, people at Castleford – players and coaches alike – have already made it plain how impressed they have been with the manner in which he has taken control directing the team in training and during matches.

Finn, denied a swift return to Featherstone when Sunday’s friendly was washed out, admits he is loving the change in culture.

“Work has been really understanding and they have been throughout when I’ve been a part-time rugby player,” he said.

“They could have asked me to go to London or the south coast as we’re a national firm but they always looked after me.

“I’d always stayed pretty local and they’d been flexible when I had Thursday night games with Fev’. There are a few who are rugby fans involved at our firm and when I explained the situation they said it was fantastic and they’d do the exact same thing.

“They told me to have a crack and give them a ring when I need a job even though they couldn’t promise there’d be anything.

“I thought the (Super League) ship had sailed and I’d no qualms about that; Championship is still a good level to play at and a good achievement to play where I did and achieve what I did.

“But to get this step up at this stage of my career and try and prove myself to the people who have put trust in me and supporters at Cas’ is a big challenge. It’s really freshened me up.”

Although Powell has signed four half-backs this winter to help fill the chasm left by Rangi Chase’s departure, it is looking increasingly likely that the assured Finn will get the nod for their opener at Bradford on February 16.

Prior to those two games with Wakefield, his only other Super League experience had been as a teenager with Halifax.

He totalled 21 games over the 2002 and 2003 campaigns, scoring two tries and kicking 20 goals for a side that was eventually relegated.

“I actually made my debut here at Castleford in 2002 and I thought we had a decent Super League side,” he added.

“There was some good half-backs to learn off – Andrew Dunemann and Gavin Clinch – plus some good local lads who gave me a good basis as a pro’ like Jonny Lawless and Andy Hobson.

“I enjoyed it and played five games that first year but then everything went kaput; the money went and so did all that experience. Naively they took on the next season at Halifax trying to do it with a team full of kids and it was never going to happen.

“We were on a hiding to nothing. As much as we might have played 15-20 games each it wasn’t really an education. It was like lambs to the slaughter.

“We probably took a lot out of that in terms of toughness but it’s not a good way to learn. It was tough and to be perfectly honest it got you down. Putting so many young kids in just didn’t work. Through doing that ‘Fax probably lost a lot of players who could have kicked on with a Super League career, but it’s all ifs and buts now.”

Regardless, Finn – a deep thinker on the game who picked Australia No7 Cooper Cronk’s brains during a one-to-one at the World Cup – does have a chance of redemption even if he has to get past Brett Seymour, Marc Sneyd and Jamie Ellis for that scrum-half slot.

“Daryl does have lots of options and that’s why all I can do is work hard and certainly not count chickens,” he said.

“I’m not a guaranteed starter and if anything probably have to work that bit harder because people will say I’ve been Daryl’s half-back before. But I’m looking forward to proving I can do this.”

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