Former Parramatta Eels junior and Lebanese international Charbel Tasipale has officially signed a new deal to join Super League club the Castleford Tigers.
Tasipale came up through the Parramatta Eels junior system when he was younger and competed in the Jersey Flegg Cup for the club in 2020 and 2021. This saw him transition into the NSW Cup side, featuring in nine games before moving to the Cronulla Sharks.
Attempting to break into the first-grade team, something he failed to do at the Eels, he featured in 13 games for the Newtown Jets but was unsuccessful in making the NRL side. Despite not playing in the NRL, he represented Lebanon at the recent Rugby League World Cup.
โI'm very excited about the opportunity that's been given to me to play in Super League. Not many can say that they've played at that level so I'm very excited to move over. I found out last week about the interest and everything has moved pretty quickly,โ Tasipale said after joining the Tigers.
โObviously leaving home is a big thing but the moment I realised that this is what I've dreamed of, I really wanted to go.โ
โThis year for me has been really good because I've been doing the extra stuff which has paid off because I will now be playing Super League. In second grade in Australia, the competition is at a really high level because the boys who are not playing NRL every week will come down and play against us.
โWhen you are playing against those boys the game is really physical so it's an elite competition and I've worked really hard to get my starting spot. It's a really hard competition to crack.
A standout in the NSW Cup competition, Tasipale can be seen in either the second-row or centre positions. However, the 22-year-old revealed he prefers playing in the back-line as an outside back.
โCentre is probably my preferred spot, but I've been playing second row this year. Playing in the back row has given me the chance to have the ball more and get involved more in games. I'd say I'm both a second row and centre," he said.
โI'm not afraid to make my tackles and I offer a lot of speed for a forward. I'll do whatever I need to do to help the team win.โ
