When Jy Hitchcox signed for Super League outfit Castleford Tigers in November 2015 from local rivals Featherstone Rovers on a one-year deal, many Tigers fans questioned the decision. Hitchcox had played for Championship side Featherstone for a year, racking up 11 tries in 25 games. He joined Rovers from NRL side Wests Tigers - though he appeared only four times, scoring once - and impressed without being spectacular.
When the winger joined Castleford therefore, he had just 29 career appearances to his name, despite being 26. But, Castleford head coach Daryl Powell has become renowned for giving lower league players chances to impress and Hitchcox did just that.
Three years at the Jungle
In the 28 games that Hitchcox has donned a Castleford shirt, the flying winger has scored 20 tries. It has been unfortunate for Jy though that he has been behind some superb wingers in the pecking order. Specialising as a left-sided winger, Hitchcox was unlucky to have Denny Solomona and Greg Eden in front of him in 2016 and 2017 respectively. Solomona hit 40 tries in 2016 and Eden 38 in 2017, so the quality that Hitchcox has had to contend with has been first-class. No real wonder then that the winger has had game time at Batley (in 2017), Bradford and Halifax (2018).
But, when given an opportunity with Castleford in Super League the 5 ft 9 winger has not let his team down.
His mazy runs out of defence and his brilliant finishing ability has often been commended by the Castleford faithful and many of them feel that he had done enough to earn another contract at the club. Instead, Hitchcox - to make way on the overseas quota for ex-Leigh back Peter Mata'utia - leaves the Tigers on-loan to League 1 promotion hopefuls Bradford until the end of 2018 when he will sign permanently.
Super League quality
It is a case of Castleford's loss and very much Bradford's gain; he will rip up the remainder of the League 1 season and if Bradford does earn the promotion, will be a standout player in the Championship in 2019 too. There is no doubt about it that Hitchcox is a Super League quality winger and would have still been able to do a very good job as a squad player at Castleford.
It could even be claimed that if Hitchcox was not Australian - he was born in Byron Bay - that the club may have kept him on the books.
But, to essentially take up a quota space with a winger that is not a regular first-team player seems ridiculous in this day and age. Even then though, Hitchcox has shown enough to be on the Castleford teamsheet week-in, week-out and it is incredibly unlucky that - because of a dangerous tackle earlier on in the season - Tigers fans will not be able to see Hitchcox in a Castleford shirt one last time.
It is a testament to Jy's honesty as a player that, despite not being played for most of 2016, 2017 and 2018, he has shown himself to be the ultimate professional. Thanks for the memories and, in particular, this rather unbelievable try.
