DEATH, taxes and Greg Eden flying down the wing at Castleford Tigers – those were the three certainties you could rely on in this day and age.
However, after seven years at The Jungle, Eden is no longer a Tiger following 112 tries in 122 appearances since 2017.
At 32 years of age, the flying winger is still one of the best in the business when it comes to finishing off a four-pointer, but that won’t happen at Castleford in 2024.
Now Eden has reflected on the decision to part ways with his boyhood club and why 2023 was so disastrous for the Tigers after surviving in Super League by the skin of their teeth.
“It was obviously a big decision but I just thought it was time for a change really. I’d been there a long time and I think the club wants to go in different direction from a player roster perspective. I thought it was time for me to move on,” Eden told League Express.
“It was a hard decision because obviously I’ve been there for such a long time.
“I think it was a number of things that went wrong for us last season, we started pre-season without any coaching staff for a couple of weeks.
“Other than that I’m not too sure, we started off on the wrong foot, fell behind and lost a few on the bounce and never seemed to claw it back.”
In recent seasons, Eden has spent a number of weeks and months on the sideline due to soft tissue injuries – something which was talked about by Castleford’s director of Danny Wilson when the club announced his exit at the end of last season.
Wilson said: “The difficult thing with Greg is that he plays 50% of the games because his body isn’t as robust has he was when he was 20.”
However, Eden insists that his body is still as fresh as ever for a 32-year-old.
“I wouldn’t say I have had big injuries, I have only had two calf tears over the last year and I wouldn’t say they are big injuries. They kept me out for eight or nine weeks and we had a few weeks off in between so it seemed longer that it was,” Eden continued.
“My body is still fresh for the age that I am. I have never really had big injuries, just a few soft tissue injuries when the ground firms up. I’ve never thought about retiring, I still feel fresh.”
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