Hooker, 33, admits he struggled with captaincy last season but is now better prepared to play with responsibility and recapture form that saw him earn England honours and Steve Prescott Man of Steel

Castleford’s Paul McShane is ready to rediscover his Man of Steel and England form after conceding captaincy weighed heavy on him last term.

The bustling hooker, 33, is one player out to prove a point in Betfred Super League this season. McShane was Man of Steel in 2020 and made his long-awaited Test debut the following year. But his form dipped last term after being made Castleford skipper and he was axed from Shaun Wane’s World Cup squad as his club narrowly missed the play-offs.

McShane recalled: “There was a lot of frustration there. I got captain last year but don’t think I did that justice. It might have played on my mind. But just training now, I’ve got a buzz back. I don’t know if it is because I want to prove people wrong from what I did last year or prove myself wrong that I’m not that player. But there’s a good feeling around it. The first round can’t come quick enough.”

The signing of Warrington’s ex-England stand-off Gareth Widdop and Wakefield’s Australian No.7 Jacob Miller gives Castleford a new dynamic. McShane spent much of last term filling in as a half-back following a string of injuries. Ahead of Sunday’s opener at Hull, he admitted: “Those two are definitely big pluses for us as they have so much experience and know what they want.