'This is my year to really kick on': Castleford Tigers forward Brad Martin reacts to breakthrough moment

Castleford Tigers did not have much in the way of encouragement in the early weeks of the Super League season, six successive defeats highlighting the size of the task facing new head coach Craig Lingard as the club play the long game.

The Tigers handed opportunities to unproven players in the off-season to reduce the age of their squad and lay foundations for the future.

To that end, there were encouraging signs in last week's win over Salford Red Devils, Castleford’s first of the Super League campaign.

Innes Senior stole the show with four tries and there were vital contributions from local lads Brad Martin and Sam Hall in a coming-of-age performance in the absence of several senior figures.

Hall crashed over in the first half and Martin scored a sensational solo try on the hour mark to give the Tigers a lead they did not relinquish.

Collecting the ball just inside his own half, Martin brushed off attempted tackles from Kallum Watkins and Joe Shorrocks before demonstrating his power to hold off Ryan Brierley's desperate attempt.

At the start of his fifth season in Super League, it may just be the breakthrough moment Martin had been craving.

"I was buzzing with it," the forward told The Yorkshire Post.

"Linners told me to come off the bench and make as much impact as possible to try to change the game in some way.

"I got the ball off Cain (Robb) and ended up at the tryline. It was brilliant to score a try like that in front of the main stand.

"I can't lie, I've watched it back a few times since. It's nice to watch it back because it went fast and I can't really remember much of it.

"A try like that proves to yourself that you can do it and you are a good player. You've just got to build off the back of that.

"I think this is my year to really kick on. Hopefully moments like that will help do that."

The 23-year-old has had to be patient since his debut against Hull KR at the end of 2020.

He took his appearance tally to 33 last week, with his only previous Super League outing in 2024 coming in last month's defeat at Catalans Dragons.

Martin gave Lingard a timely reminder of his ability in the victory over Salford as he enters the final few months of his current deal.

"It's always in the back of your mind when you come into the last year of your contract," said Martin, who joined the Tigers from the Leeds Rhinos academy ahead of the 2020 campaign.

"I've got to play my best rugby to earn a contract. There have been talks with Cas but nothing has been agreed and it's not quite right at the moment.

"Hopefully we can agree on something within the next few weeks. I've been at Cas a long time now and it's all I've ever known.

"If Cas come forward with a good offer then I'd definitely love to stay – but I'm at a stage in my career where I need to push on and get regular game time, whether that's at Cas or another club."

Martin has seen the Tigers regress from trophy contenders to relegation candidates during his time at Wheldon Road.

Castleford managed to avoid the drop in a tense finish to last season but have won just seven Super League games since the start of 2023, a slump keenly felt by Martin, a player born just down the road in Pontefract.

There were reasons for encouragement, though, in the priceless win against Salford.

"It was tough last year and it's been tough at the start of this year," said Martin.

"When I first came to Cas, we had a really good team and were competing every single week, winning quite a lot of games as well.

"You look at the squad and it's a brand-new squad in terms of new players and connections. It's about the club rebuilding with some younger players. To be a part of that is exciting.

"It is tough because no one wants to lose but on the positive side, we've got that first Super League win and have hopefully turned the corner.

"We showed some grit and determination, which is what we've been missing and needed to get back. Having a young squad, we've got to have loads of energy and determination to get those wins."

Castleford will need to find another level or two to compete with Wigan Warriors when the defending Super League champions visit in the quarter-finals of the Challenge Cup on Sunday, their reward for beating Batley Bulldogs in the previous round.

His Wembley experience as a non-playing member of the squad in 2021 left Martin wanting more.

"It doesn't get much bigger than Wigan," he said.

"We're really looking forward to it. It's obviously at home as well so hopefully we'll have a big crowd behind us.

"I went down to Wembley with the squad in 2021. Those are the occasions you aim to get to as a player.

"For Cas and myself, it's about building back up to that. There's a little itch to get back there and hopefully play in games like that."