Wigan Warriors v Castleford Tigers: Parker aims to prove point in daunting debut

The former England international will make his first Super League appearance in four months this evening after being left out in the cold at Salford City Reds.

For someone who lifted every club honour in the game during his early career at Bradford Bulls, the enforced and premature curtailing of his career has been hard to bear.

Parker was sidelined by illness and injury for some of this campaign but has been fit for the last six weeks only to be overlooked by acting-coach Phil Veivers.

The chance to move to Castleford for a month, making a daunting debut at champions Wigan tonight, has lifted a massive weight from his shoulders and reignited his passion.

“It’s been pretty disheartening not playing,” he told the Yorkshire Post.

“It’s been quite a while now and I just want to play again – I’ve not been able to do my job.

“You can train as much as you want but playing the game is something I love doing.

“I feel like a kid again; the first day training with Cas on Monday was like my first day at high school.

“I’d gone a bit stale at Salford not being selected. When you’re injured it’s not as bad but just not being selected and being out of favour, it kind of hurts.

“I want to go out and prove myself and some others wrong; I still think I’ve a lot to give.”

The robust forward, who will ease the West Yorkshire club’s crippling injury list with props Craig Huby and Jonathan Walker sidelined for the season, concedes the switch was much-needed.

Parker’s contract at Salford, where he has been since signing from Warrington in 2008, runs out at the end of the campaign so he is striving for a deal with Castleford in 2012.

He made the first move in approaching coach Terry Matterson to seek this temporary switch and was pleased with the response.

However, his first day at training earlier this week coincided with the Australian chief announcing he was severing his six-year association with the Tigers.

“When Terry had his team talk on Monday, he said he’d be leaving Cas at the end of the season – and it’s all down to Rob!” joked Parker.

“He’d just been welcoming me on board and then he said that.

“He did say he was only joking but it kind of left me with mixed emotions.

“I’d heard a lot of good things about Terry and really wanted to work with him.

“Even though I’m 29, I still want to learn about the game. I think the day you think you know it all you probably don’t.

“Nobody is ever right in rugby; if there was a right way of coaching there’d be an unbeatable team out there.”

An experienced campaigner with more than 200 Super League games under his belt, Parker will add some resilience to the Castleford pack as they bid to rally after successive heavy defeats against Catalan and Warrington.

Facing the champions, who will overtake Warrington and forge a one-point lead at the top if they win this game in hand held over from their World Club Challenge weekend, is hardly a cosy way to be ushered into the action.

Wigan have swept past Huddersfield and edged Leeds at the DW Stadium in the last 11 days alone to show their title potential and Parker’s last game was, ironically, for Salford versus the Warriors on March 4.

His match fitness will undoubtedly be tested but wholehearted Parker is undeterred about how tough the proposition might be.

“I’m not bothered if I’m playing against Wigan, the World Club champions or the Dog & Gun pub team,” he said.

“I’m just happy to be playing again. I was really taken aback by how tight the lads are here and they gave me a great welcome.

“It’s good to have a change and it’s something I probably needed.”

Parker looks at former Bradford team-mate Paul Deacon, who he won Super League titles, World Club Challenges and Challenge Cups with in the Bulls’ halcyon days, as an inspiration as he seeks to get his career back on track.

The former Great Britain scrum-half, 32, has been a revelation for Wigan since leaving Odsal at the end of 2009.

“He’s a good mate and we’ve known each other a long time,” said Parker.

“Deacs has been playing really well and is the perfect example – he’s probably started producing the best rugby he’s ever played in these last couple of years.”

Wigan prop Andy Coley is suspended tonight after he was handed a one-match ban and £300 fine after being found guilty of running in and punching during the Warriors’ win over Leeds.

* Castleford captain Danny Orr has confirmed he is staying with the Tigers for at least one more season.

The 33-year-old half-back rejoined his home-town club from Harlequins in the winter, initially on a 12-month contract, but yesterday signed a new deal for 2012.

* Huddersfield’s England hooker Shaun Lunt will miss the rest of the season with a groin injury.

The 24-year-old former Workington player has been told he needs to undergo surgery.

Half-back Danny Brough, meanwhile, could be back a fortnight earlier than expected after making good progress in his recovery from ankle ligament damage, meaning he could return for the trip to Bradford on Sunday, July 17.