Newcastle Knights forward Mat Croker could be the latest player heading to Castleford Tigers in 2025, according to speculation in Australia.

Reports emerged last week suggesting Croker had been offered to Super League clubs for 2025, with his future at the Knights seemingly uncertain. Rugby League Live were first to report that Croker, who will not be offered a new deal at Newcastle, is on the open market and available to Super League clubs.

And now, a fresh report from Zero Tackle has suggested that the Tigers could be interested in his services for next year as they look to build a competitive squad under Craig Lingard.

The Tigers have already completed the permanent signing of Zac Cini from Parramatta Eels, while they are also pursuing a deal to sign Daejarn Asi from the Eels too, as his future in the NRL looks to be coming to an end.

The likes of Tex Hoy, Louis and Innes Senior have also been signed on deals which run into next season – and Croker may well be next on the list.

Lingard admitted during his pre-match press conference on Wednesday that Castleford are hopeful of entering the market with an increased budget for 2025, and that they are talking to multiple targets about making the move to West Yorkshire.

They also look likely to have room to manoeuvre on their overseas quota for 2025. As it stands, Castleford have six quota players for 2025 – Jacob Miller, Tex Hoy, Liam Horne, Elie El-Zakhem, Nixon Putt and Sylvester Namo. But Putt and El-Zakhem have been linked with exits in the off-season.

One will have to go should Asi arrive as well as Cini – and another would need to leave if a deal for Croker was pursued. The 24-year-old has played over 50 games for Newcastle since making his NRL debut in 2021.