Every team insists they are fitter, stronger and better than the previous version. After all, what else is there without hope?
Alex Mellor knows the script. He has heard it, said it and lived it at each of his four clubs.
But as he talks about Ryan Carr’s Castleford Tigers, there is a quiet conviction behind the usual soundbites.
For once, the optimism feels less like a throwaway line and more like a genuine shift in mentality at Wheldon Road.
“There’s a real different feel around this place from the top to the bottom,” said Mellor.
“If you look around the ground, the club are investing a lot of money to make our lives better on a daily basis.
“The recruits we’ve brought in this year give us real hope and Carry is driving high standards from the top.
“It’s the most hope I’ve had going into a season. We won’t shout about anything and will just go about our business, but it’s certainly the most hope I’ve had.
“I’ve been here for three and a half years and during that time we’ve spoken about a five-year plan. It was hard to see those wheels in motion at first – the club seemed a little bit stuck – but the money that’s been invested in the playing group gives us the best chance to succeed.”
Castleford had a taste of the good life under Daryl Powell, winning the 2017 League Leaders’ Shield and appearing in three major finals.
Since Powell left in late 2021, however, four permanent head coaches have come and gone, none able to convince that a brighter future was on the horizon.
Carr’s arrival – together with Chris Chester’s early work in the recruitment market – has injected a sense of belief that had become lost in the rebuild.
For a club that have spent years chasing stability, the difference has been immediate.
“I’m really enjoying working with him,” added Mellor.
“He’s a hands-on coach and the one who leads most of the drills and sessions. When he’s on, he’s on and fully invested in his coaching, but when he’s off, he’s easy to speak to and relatable.
“The accountability in the playing group is higher than it has been before. Everybody is committed to driving higher standards than we’ve had in the past.
“It’s exciting. He’s given us a real boost.”
The scope for improvement is vast after a string of lowly finishes for the Tigers.
Castleford have finished no higher than 10th since 2022, most recently recording a second 11th-place finish in three years.
Amid those struggles, one shining light has been Mellor.
Reliable, wholehearted and prepared to put his body on the line week in, week out, the 31-year-old has become a cornerstone of the pack.
As Carr begins his search for a new captain to replace Sam Wood, he could do worse than to look Mellor’s way.
“I’d love to fill that vacancy if it’s what Ryan wants,” said Mellor.
“I took over the role last season having fallen out with it a couple of years ago when I struggled with it. I got it wrong in 2023 (as vice-captain). I lost my form, which in turn made me a poor leader.
“I think I’ve matured into a player who can deal with their own performance as well as handle what’s going on at the club.
“It’s certainly a role I’ll be putting my hand up for. I enjoy leading the lads out and the day-to-day bits that come with it.”
Captaincy or not, Mellor will continue to lead by example.
The back-rower stood tall during a wretched 2025 that produced just six wins in 28 attempts.
But his own form could do little to mask the pain of falling short week after week.
Asked how much the club’s struggles had hurt him personally, Mellor replied: “Massively.
“It’s not just within the playing group but within the town. Cas is a real passionate rugby town and we feel like we’re letting them down when we don’t perform well.
“That hurts as a player. It ruins your weekend and that filters into the next week. Losses aren’t just the 80-minute performance – it’s the knock-on effect it has.
“Hopefully we can turn that around and get more positivity in the playing squad, which will filter into the town and start to build something.”
As Castleford look ahead to their centenary year, there is a sense that the dark days of recent seasons are finally giving way to something brighter.
The milestone campaign offers the class of 2026 the chance to embody the values that have underpinned the club for a century.
“The rebranding worked really well,” said Mellor. “The badge has gone down really well and the kits are brilliant for the centenary year.
“It’s not just another year – it’s a year Cas are investing heavily in. As a playing group, we need to do our bit.”
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