Joe Westerman is hoping for a 'good day' and a much-improved Castleford Tigers performance as he gears up for Saturday's testimonial match against Hull FC.

The 35-year-old will celebrate his testimonial game against the Black and Whites, where he spent eight years as a player, with Castleford, now coached by Danny McGuire, looking to go up a level after a disappointing run against Wakefield Trinity last Friday. Fired up, Westerman is expecting a more solid and disciplined performance against Hull, who will be led by John Cartwright for the first time, with the loose forward full of pride ahead of his big day.

Starting his career 'down the lane,' Westerman then made a high-profile and big-money move to Hull ahead of the 2011 season. He left after 2015 but returned for a further eighteen months in 2018. He has also played for Warrington Wolves, Wakefield Trinity, and Toronto Wolfpack, racking up over 435 career appearances.

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"It's going to be a good day," Westerman told Hull Live ahead of the clash. "I started my career off at Cas before moving to Hull and then finishing my career at Cas. They're two clubs where I've done most of my career: I've done eight years at Hull, and I've done eight years at Cas. They are two clubs close to my heart, and hopefully we can have a good day and see two good teams on show."

He continued: "Our performance against Wakefield was nothing like our standards throughout pre-season. We've tried really hard, and we've been really good, and we didn't reflect that in the game. This week against Hull, it's two new teams and two new coaches, and hopefully we can see a good game.

"This pre-season, it's been my 19th one, and I think it's been the hardest one I've ever done. It's safe to say it's been a really tough pre-season. We've made a bit of a point of teams coming to the Jungle, to Wheldon Road, this year and making sure it's our house, really. We don't want to be getting beat there, so it'll be a good test. Hull are bringing a strong side down; they're bringing their new players, and it should be good to see all of those new faces."

Celebrating his career, a good crowd is anticipated at Wheldon Road, with Hull selling out their allocation and Castleford also going well. Tickets remain available on the day, with Westerman, who played in the halves at Wakefield last week, adding: "Again, these two clubs mean a lot to me, and I'm just happy and privileged to come back and finish my career here.

"The good thing about this game on Saturday is that it's between the two clubs that are close to my heart. I loved Hull; I had a lot of time there, and I've got a lot of mates there. My career got going there, and then at Cas as well. They're the two clubs where I spent most of my time. Hopefully, we'll have a good day."

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