Papua New Guinea’s Judah Rimbu Signs Two-Year Deal with Castleford Tigers
Highly Anticipated Move
Papua New Guinea international Judah Rimbu has been strongly linked with a move to Castleford Tigers for some time, and reports from Australia now suggest he has signed a two-year contract with the Super League club.
Standout Performance in Queensland Cup
Back in September, Yorkshire Live reported that Kumuls hooker Rimbu had received an offer from Castleford ahead of the 2025 season. Although he is yet to make his NRL debut, Rimbu has been a standout performer for the PNG Hunters in the Queensland Cup, winning the Petero Civoniceva Medal as the competition’s player of the year after scoring 16 tries in 23 games.
Confirmed Move to Castleford Tigers
The Mole of Wide World of Sports has now reported that Rimbu has signed a two-year contract with the Tigers, although the move is yet to be officially announced by the West Yorkshire club. Rimbu has won four caps for his native Papua New Guinea since making his international debut for the Kumuls in 2023 and is currently part of Jason Demetriou’s squad for the ongoing Pacific Championships.
“The Mole also suggested that Australian clubs showed interest in Rimbu, but it was too late, as the Mendi-born hooker had already signed a deal with Castleford.”
Filling the Void at Castleford
Rimbu, who has scored 21 tries in 69 appearances in the Queensland Cup over the last four seasons, is likely to fill the void left by former Man of Steel Paul McShane at the Jungle and will compete for a spot in the No. 9 role in Danny McGuire’s side alongside his fellow countryman Liam Horne and homegrown talent Cain Robb.
At the time of writing, the Tigers have officially confirmed three new signings for 2025 in the shape of Innes Senior (Huddersfield Giants), Louis Senior (Hull Kingston Rovers), and Zac Cini (Parramatta Eels). However, it’s widely expected that Parramatta Eels half-back Daejarn Asi will also be a Castleford player in 2025, as revealed by Love Rugby League back in September, as well as the aforementioned Rimbu.
Preparing for the Pacific Championships
Rimbu will fly to England shortly after the conclusion of Papua New Guinea’s Pacific Championships campaign. The Kumuls face the Cook Islands this weekend, with Demetriou’s side hoping to finish top of the Pacific Bowl and earn the chance for promotion into next year’s Pacific Cup.
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