Wednesday 14 March 2018 12:39, UK
Castleford have signed Hull FC prop Liam Watts on a three-year contract until the end of the 2020 season.
Hull had agreed a fee with Championship side Toronto Wolfpack, but the Tigers came in with a last-minute 'significant' offer, which has seen the 27-year-old make the move to the Mend-A-Hose Jungle.
Watts is currently serving a three-match suspension for headbutting Dom Crosby during the Black and Whites' 21-12 victory on Friday March 2 - his fourth red card in less than 12 months.
The Challenge Cup holders had grown frustrated with Watts' on-field and off-the-field behaviour and told the prop that he was no longer needed at the club.
Hull head coach Lee Radford said: "I would like to wish Liam all the best moving forward and hope he can find some consistency off the field to benefit his career in the future.
"We have some great, young, enthusiastic front rowers coming through at the club who appreciate our values and behaviours and they will benefit from more game time.
"I'm really looking forward to watching these players progress and develop over the next few years."
Watts joined Hull from arch rivals Hull KR in 2012 and helped the club to back-to-back Challenge Cups victories in 2016 and 2017.
Watts is delighted to have joined his boyhood club but he will not be able to make his debut until the clash against Wakefield on March 29.
He told castlefordtigers.com: "I'm really excited to be joining Castleford. It's a move that has come around quickly but one that I couldn't let pass me by. I'm looking forward to getting started and pulling on the famous jersey.
"I'm really looking forward to linking up with the rest of the forwards here at Cas. If there was one team in the league that was going to suit my style of play then it's definitely Castleford. They are a big set of lads here but they are a good set of lads also."
