TORONTO — Fullback Gareth O’Brien is the latest Toronto Wolfpack player to find a new home for the 2020 season.
The 28-year-old O’Brien joined Castleford Tigers on Monday on a loan deal through the remainder of the Super League campaign.
The transatlantic Wolfpack are on the selling block after standing down last month due to financial problems, leaving the team’s talent looking for a place to play.
Centre Ricky Leutele has already signed with the Melbourne Storm with fellow Wolfpack marquee player Sonny Bill Williams expected to join him with the NRL’s Sydney Roosters.
New Zealand’s Bodene Thompson has been linked to England’s Leeds Rhinos. England international Kallum Watkins, who never got to play for the Wolfpack after signing in May, is reportedly being targeted by both the Salford Red Devils and Hull Kingston Rovers.
The Wolfpack, who have missed the July 1 and Aug. 1 payroll, have told their players they are free to negotiate their own deals and go out on loan in 2020. The franchise has said it wants to field a team in 2021 but that depends on rugby league authorities and the outcome of a possible sale.
Listed at six feet and 178 pounds, the slender O’Brien looks out of place among rugby league’s behemoths. An elegant runner and talented place-kicker, O’Brien regularly took his lumps for the Wolfpack but got back up.
“A relative midget in a world of giants,” said Wolfpack coach Brian McDermott, a six-foot-five former England international prop who sometimes lamented O’Brien’s penchant for taking punishment.
O’Brien famously saved Salford from relegation in 2016 with a drop-goal in extra time for a 19-18 win over Hull Kingston Rovers in the Million Pound Game. The Red Devils had trailed 18-10 with two minutes to play.
O’Brien joined Toronto in 2018 after stints with Salford, Warrington Wolves, Swinton Lions, St Helens, Widnes Vikings and North Wales Crusaders. He spent two games on loan with Castleford while with Warrington, where he graduated from the Wolves academy.
O’Brien was named player of the year in the second-tier Betfred Championship in 2019 after scoring 22 tries in 27 games.
“Gareth is a high-quality player who will fit in very neatly into the way that we attack, and he’ll really strengthen us, I think, for the remainder of this season,” Castleford head coach Daryl Powell said in a statement.
“He’s a player that we have looked at before and given what has happened with Toronto and our position with Jordan Rankin going home, I thought it was important to get an experienced fullback on board and strengthen us in that position.”
Rankin returned to his native Australia in May, signing with the Parramatta Eels in June. The former Gold Coast Titans and Wests Tigers player scored 10 tries in 28 appearances for the Tigers.
Castleford, which dropped to 4-3-0 after a 40-14 loss Saturday to Catalan Dragons, has been playing winger Greg Eden at fullback.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 10, 2020.
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Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press
