Castleford Tigers sign loose forward from Yorkshire rivals Hull FC

The 19-year-old started playing rugby union in Oxford before taking up both codes after moving to Essex as a youngster. He moved to Hull as an 11-year-old and committed to rugby league after joining community club West Hull.

He joined the Hull FC academy and progressed through the youth ranks while representing the Black and Whites at academy and reserves level.

“I was playing rugby union from the age of 11 and then when I moved to Hull, I joined West Hull rugby league and since then I’ve been hooked. I then came through from scholarship to academy at FC,” he said.

“I was playing union in Oxford for a local team and then I played league on and off in Essex after moving there, but when I moved to Hull that was when I committed to playing league."

He added: “I’m powerful with good footwork at the line and I can move the ball about. In defence I can stay connected and I am a good hitter as well. I’m very excited and I’m looking forward to getting started.”

Ilikaya will study alongside his time with Castleford as he has taken up the option of the Tigers Foundation’s partnership with University Centre Leeds. The programme gives aspiring players the opportunity to study alongside their playing career.

He continued: “I’m doing the university program with the Tigers Foundation at University Centre Leeds which will be a big help for me in the future. I’ve got my level 3 sports diploma and I’m looking to get my sports coaching qualifications. It’s a good environment at the stadium and I’m surrounded by the whole team so it’s good.”

Tigers head coach Lee Radford wants to freshen up the Castleford squad with some younger players and believes Mafi’s arrival, alongside fellow promising youngsters Jacob Hookem and Bailey Dawson who have been training with the senior squad from day one of pre-season, will provide that.

Radford said: “He’s a big athletic lad and he’ll benefit from being with us full time. I made some comments earlier in the year that we need to make the squad’s average age a little bit younger, so Ilikaya and the other lads coming on board will allow us to do that.”