Michael Shenton: Street rugby to Castleford legend
17 Jan 2020
Rugby was always going to be an option for Michael Shenton - but from playing touch rugby on the streets of Pontefract to making a record number of Super League appearances for his hometown club, it’s fair to say it’s been one hell of a ride for the Castleford Tigers captain.
Since making his debut in 2004, the 33-year-old has endured relegation, rejuvenation and reunification with the club he loves.
Shenton’s route to the top of the sport is not unfamiliar.
He grew up in Pontefract, on the same street in Townville as former Leeds Rhinos half-back Rob Burrow, who is among many of the game’s recognisable names to graduate street rugby to the elite level of the game.
“The whole area just loves the sport – rugby league is in your blood and heritage,?? Shenton said.
“Pontefract hasn’t even got its own rugby league team - but everyone there loves it.
“Obviously it’s associated with Castleford because it’s so close and only divided by the M62 - but there is a divide in who to support. It’s either Wakefield, Castleford or Featherstone – all good-natured rivalries, though.
“It’s bound to be part of your life as the town is rugby league more than anything else, whether it be football, cricket or rugby union. It’s a hotbed for the sport.
“I played touch rugby on the streets and then, like many youngsters, got taken to watch Castleford.
“I was always struck by how amazing it was - and that is why the club has such a special place in my heart.??
Shenton is speaking ahead of this week’s testimonial against Toronto Wolfpack, who Castleford also play in the opening game of their Super League season - his 17th in professional rugby.
Apart from a brief spell at St Helens, each of those seasons has been at the Tigers, where he made his debut as a 17-year-old.
You don’t have to look hard to see why Shenton has longevity at the highest level.
His knowledge and understanding of the game is palpable – but he speaks with an intelligence and candour about off-field matters, too.
Even as a young player he had that intuition and desire to instil high standards.
“In 2004, I was playing in a pretty successful under-18s team - but at the same time I was making my debut for the men’s team,?? he explained.
“Making my debut was amazing - but I did feel as if things were a bit sloppy at the club at the time.
“The team wasn’t managed as it should have been, and the players weren’t performing.
“Comparing that team to now, it’s easy to see why we struggled.??
In his own words, according to those most reliable of sources (his Twitter bio), Shenton describes himself as a ‘chief procrastinator’.
That doesn’t readily come through in the course of this interview, so superleague.co.uk decided to speak to his teammates to gauge a different perspective.
Variations of ‘legend’, ‘leader’, ‘reliable’, ‘class’ and ‘skilful’ were what came back - only second-row Oli Holmes, who called him ‘conniving’, deviated from the script.
Shenton’s story would be that of a one-club man but for a minor deviation he himself took when he left Castleford for St Helens in 2011.
“I felt the club were not making the right moves at the time and I started to get interest from elsewhere,?? he said.
“St Helens came knocking and it was a move I felt I needed.
“Being at Saints for a couple of years was great - but moving away from here was still one of the hardest things I’ve done.
“It didn’t end how I wanted it to at Saints, we didn’t get any trophies and my last year there was frustrating with injuries.??
🧡 "It's a special club to play for"
Our skipper hopes that plenty more Tigers stay long term and have their testimonial years with Cas!
👀 Watch the full sit down chat with @mshenton22, for free, ahead of his match on Sunday ⬇https://t.co/12KQh79KLD#COYF pic.twitter.com/jWnFQjNwG5
— Castleford Tigers (@CTRLFC) January 16, 2020
A return to Castleford in 2013 sparked a golden period of his career.
“The opportunity to come back was huge and it has proved to be the right decision because I have played my best football under Darryl Powell,?? he added.
“He came in and changed the club in a positive way.
“We are now a club that is thriving, rather than surviving.
“There have been some real standout years in that period - but 2017 was the best of them.
“The brand of rugby was so enjoyable to play, we had a camaraderie and played a great attacking style.
“As a centre there is no better way to play than getting the ball at speed and in space.
“It was quality ball as well and I felt as if everyone was having such a big impact on the game.??
It hasn’t all been positive, with some big injuries derailing Shenton’s form.
A knee injury on the opening day of the 2016 campaign forced him to miss the rest of the year and an ankle injury cut short his 2019 season.
He said: “The injury in 2016 was pretty horrendous. I was coming into some good form ahead of the season and after 20 minutes against Hull KR it was over. My knee just twisted; it was a real killer.
“Last year I had surgery on my ankle, but it didn’t go as planned and I ended up fracturing my tibia when I tried to start running again.
“The surgeon had never seen that before and then it got infected, so it set me back again.
“I was a couple of weeks away from coming back and it was a frustrating period because there was a lot of uncertainty there.??
But on the other side of adversity there is often opportunity, which Shenton knows only too well from his own career.
Cas were relegated in Shenton’s debut season – but he was able to use that time in the second tier to establish himself.
“I started to breakthrough in 2005,?? he said.
“I got to play nearly every game of the season because we were in a lower league.
“The club played some younger guys, and I was fortunate enough to be one of them.
“It built up my experience and I got to play with some amazing players, the likes of Brad Davis, and it was my first year of being a proper first teamer and accepted as a man in the squad.
“I was doing some good things - but still making loads of mistakes.
“The key thing was that I was learning a lot at the same time – that experience was invaluable.??
Those lessons learnt have stuck with Shenton throughout his career, which might be why he feels so well-placed to mentor some of the Tigers’ younger players who are coming through the club now.
There is a sense of excitement when he talks about them, which suggests 2020 could be a big year at the Mend-A-Hose Jungle.
“We have seen an abundance of young kids who you can see have raw talent,?? he said.
“It’s hard to individually focus on anyone - but there is a strong group of lads.
“If we can keep them together and they can train and learn with us, then they have so much potential.
“They look driven, hungry and like they want to play.??
That is a good starting point for a group of young players retracing Shenton’s steps – because when it comes to hunger and drive to play for Castleford, there are few players who feel it quite like he does.
One thing is for certain: the club is in safe hands if Castleford’s next generation play with the same passion and quality as their captain.
