Castleford Tigers eager to retain key duo

The pair are in the final year of their current deals although were notably absent from the list of out-of-contract players which is annually released by the Rugby Football League.

When a player in the final year of their contract is not named, it means they have signed a deal for the next campaign, although they will not necessarily have put pen to paper on a new deal with their current club.

Millington joined Castleford ahead of the 2012 season and has gone on to make over 200 appearances for the Tigers.

Pontefract-born Smith joined the Tigers from Huddersfield Giants in 2019.

“We are in talks with both players and I want both players to stay at the club,” said Powell.

“I am confident they both will but we don’t have anything to say on that as of yet.”

Powell has criticised the handling of the Challenge Cup sixth-round redraw.

The competition was redrawn last week after the remaining Championship and League 1 clubs were forced to drop out of the competition after the pandemic ended their campaigns.

The Tigers were set to face York City Knights but will now go up against Hull FC, while six of the 10 Super League clubs left in the tournament received a bye into the quarter-finals.

“It was a bit of a shambles, it is the first time we have had a decent draw in a number of years and then it was redrawn,” added Powell.

“I thought it was poor how it was handled but it is what it is.”

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