BREAKING NEWS: Castleford Tigers director of rugby Chris Chester announces the signing of fifth NRL player as they lock in ‘final piece’ of 2026 spine

Castleford Tigers have made their fifth NRL signing for 2026 with director of rugby Chris Chester labelling it as the ‘final piece of our spine’.

Chester has been bullish about the Tigers’ chance in 2026, insisting that they must be challenging for the top six or he’d not be doing his job correctly.

That’s seen them make a move for young coach Ryan Carr as their head coach whilst also making a flurry of signings, including many from overseas as they look to strengthen a squad that only managed to finish eleventh in 2025.

The latest of those signings is Gold Coast Titans’ Tom Weaver with the 22-year-old signing a two-year deal with Castleford Tigers.

Announcement of Weaver’s signing came just hours after the club had confirmed the release of hooker/loose forward Liam Horne with the Papua New Guinean international signing for Leigh Leopards. Horne’s exit freed up the overseas quota spot to allow Weaver to sign.

Who is Castleford Tigers’ new signing Tom Weaver?

Weaver has made 11 NRL appearances for the Titans, debuting in 2023. He made five appearances for the Titans last season though the bulk of his playing time has come in the Queensland Cup.

Since 2023, Weaver has played 37 times in the Q Cup for Tweed, scoring six tries along the way, with Castleford noting his strong running ability as one of the assets he will bring.

Set to turn 23 in February, Weaver has the ability to develop into a Super League star given his NRL pedigree and talent and that’s what Castleford will be hoping for.

He looks set to play in a spine that has options such as Tex Hoy, Blake Taafe and last year’s NRL signing Daejarn Asi, who could even shift to the centres.

Alongside Weaver, Cas have already made four signings from down under including Taafe, Brock Greacen, Semi Valemei and Mikaele Ravalawa.

Speaking on the move, Weaver said: “My family, manager, and I had a conversation about what we thought would be the best move for me going forward with my footy. We spoke to Chris Chester and got the opportunity to come over and play some consistent footy.”

Chester added: “I’m really excited about Tom Weaver joining our club. He’s the final piece of our spine for 2026.Tom is an organising, on-the-ball number 7 who has a strong running and kicking game.

“I know Ryan can take Tom’s game to a whole new level, and I’m really looking forward to seeing him get to work in pre-season.”