Lee Mitchell insists he has no regrets over choosing to spend a freezing January in Yorkshire over training on the beach in Sydney.
Loan signing loving life at the Tigers
Lee Mitchell insists he has no regrets over choosing to spend a freezing January in Yorkshire over training on the beach in Sydney.
The 23-year-old second rower could have been Down Under with Warrington but he instead opted to move on loan to Castleford for the coming season.
And Mitchell is enjoying pre-season so much that the prospect of his Wolves team-mates experiencing an Australian summer for their training camp has rarely crossed his mind.
"I've not thought much about it to be honest," Mitchell said.
"I'm quite happy here, even if it is freezing cold. At the minute, I wouldn't want to be on the other side of the world, honestly.
Progress
"The stuff we've been doing has been really good and it's benefiting me more as a player and as a person. I'm feeling really good and looking forward to the season."
Mitchell is used to being loaned out by his home-town club. He made just five substitute appearances for the Wolves in 2011 but played 12 times for Harlequins and also had a spell in the Championship with Leigh under new Castleford coach Ian Millward.
"Because I'm a Warrington boy, I've always wanted to play for Warrington but they've got the luxury of a big and experienced squad to choose from," he said.
"For me to progress I've needed to get the experience of going out to other clubs. I wouldn't change what I've done so far. I feel I'm progressing all the time and going in the right direction."
Mitchell had other options when Wolves coach Tony Smith made it clear he would not be a part of his initial plans for 2012 but he opted to retain the links he forged at Leigh with Millward and former team-mate Stuart Donlan, now assistant coach at the Probiz Coliseum, and admits the move could become permanent.
"This is the pinnacle of it at the minute," he said. "I'm going to use this year to see how good a player I can be.
"I've got the security of being at one club for the year. I've done a full pre-season with the lads and really enjoyed it. The club are definitely going in the right direction.
"At the end of the year there's an option for me to sign for Cas or Warrington. It's a decision for the clubs. I will probably get a little bit of a say but not as much as the clubs. It's a business at the end of the day."
