Tigers pro joins Oldham on loan

Tuoyo Egodo

TEENAGE centre or wing Tuoyo Egodo, a full-time pro at Castleford Tigers, has signed for Oldham on a season-long loan.

The 19-year-old Londoner, who has "huge potential" according to Tigers boss Daryl Powell, was also being hunted down by Hull KR, Bradford and an unnamed Super League club.

Egodo (below) is the second Cas full-timer to be joining Roughyeds for the season. He and Keiran Gill, who played here in the latter part of last year, will arrive for the first Championship game against Sheffield at Bower Fold on Sunday, February 5.

"To clinch this deal, I've been working on it for several months," said Oldham chairman Chris Hamilton.

"He is still learning the game, but he has the potential to go a long way and I'm sure he'll soon become a fans' favourite.

"I thank Cas, particularly Daryl Powell and Steve Gill (chief executive), for enabling it to happen. We have a good relationship.

"Steve gave his word that Tuoyo would come to us and he has stuck to it despite interest from other clubs.

"The paper work is completed and I'm delighted, as is Scott (Naylor), that Tuoyo is coming. He's really looking forward to it too, which says a lot about the lad."

Reared in the London Broncos academy, he had a spell on dual-reg with Hemel Stags last year before Tigers paid a transfer fee for him and he gave up a bank job in London to move north and join the Super League outfit as a full-time pro.

He has since figured prominently in two of Cas's pre-season warm-up games against Hull and Wakefield.

Said Naylor: "Tuoyo will give us power and pace out wide. Cas think a lot of him. By having him here on long-term loan we can help to develop him and it will be good for us at the same time.

"As he's coming from Cas, like 'Gilly', we know we'll be getting a quality lad."

Added Cas head coach Powell: "Tuoyo has shown in his short spell with us (since last November) that he has huge potential. He is training full time and getting massive rewards from that, but he needs to play on a regular basis.

"This deal with Oldham will give him the opportunity to play weekly in a tough competition and to enhance his abilities as a player."

Tuoyo and Gill are currently with the Tigers first-team squad on a pre-season training trip to Lanzarote.