Castleford Tigers v Salford Red Devils - No Covid excuses from Cas, they just need a win

Nevertheless, all coach Daryl Powell actually wants to see is a change in their performance level as they look to get their first win since Super League’s restart when they face Salford Red Devils at Emerald Headingley tonight.

Castleford were due to start a triple header of fixtures at 2.30pm this afternoon but yesterday’s news that the final game – Wakefield Trinity v Leeds Rhinos – had to be postponed due to two positive tests at Wakefield has led to their latest matchday adjustment.

Ahead of both their last two outings, Powell’s side were told they would face different opponents just days before their games as the fall-out from the pandemic took hold.

At least this time, he does not have to rip up the gameplan and his squad can even have more of a lie-in if required.

Powell said: “We are playing at a time that is more usual to rugby league. It was a little bit strange having to play on a Thursday at half-past two in the afternoon.

“But, that is the way with us at the moment; we get pushed somewhere else or against different teams.

“We knew by the time we came to prepare today, though, that the time was going to change and it hasn’t affected our preparation.

“It’s just the way this season is going and we just have to do as well as we possibly can.

“This is an important game for us; regardless of when we’re playing we need to win the game.”

Castleford had started the campaign impressively but have lost against Catalans Dragons, St Helens and Wigan Warriors following the end of five months of shutdown.

“We’ve come back and not really got going yet,” conceded Powell.

“We just need a win. We need a performance. It’s a key game for us. We’ve been disappointing since we came back apart from in the St Helens game where, even though we lost (10-0), I felt we were excellent.

“We just need to be more consistent and need our players to play at a higher level more consistently in games.

“We’re getting ourselves into decent positions and then falling off the cliff. We’ve lost three on the spin now and can’t afford to lose many more.”

They must take on last year’s beaten Grand Finalists without their main playmaker Jake Trueman.

The 21-year-old half-back, who toured with Great Britain last autumn, was kept out of the Saints game by a back injury, returned against Wigan but failed to finish and is not included tonight.

Powell explained: “He’s had a scan and it’s not serious but it’s still causing him trouble so we just need to give him a bit of time to recover. He had a short turnaround to our last game to recover and he wasn’t quite right.

“We’ll give him a little bit more time. He’s obviously an important player for us and we’ve games coming in quick succession. We could probably have pushed him for this but I thought it was important we get him right.”

Centre Peter Mata’utia returns from a two-game ban and he could slot in at stand-off but Powell – who used hooker Paul McShane there against Saints – could also move former Salford full-back Gareth O’Brien.

Calum Turner, Greg Eden, untried 17-year-old Bailey Hodgson and Mata’utia are all full-back options in his 21-man squad.

On the subject of full-backs, Castleford confirmed the worst kept secret in rugby league on Sunday when they announced Salford’s Niall Evalds will join them in 2021.

Asked if that news would put any pressure on the England Knights star leading into tonight’s fixture, Powell insisted: “There’s been rumours around it (transfer) for a while. Initially when the rumours broke and Salford put some stuff out (saying in May that Evalds would leave at the end of 2020) it was a tricky time for him.

“Players move from club to club all the time. It’s the nature of the sport. I think he’ll be all right. He’s a good young fella with a big career ahead of him and he just needs to play his game.

“It’s up to us to make sure it doesn’t go well for him Thursday.”

Salford vanquished Hull FC 
54-18 in their first game back before, frustratingly, having to self-isolate for 14 days following the Covid outbreak at their opponents. They only returned to action on Saturday and, understandably, looked off the pace when losing 50-12 against Leeds.

But Powell insisted: “They are a good team.

“You look at the performance against Hull and they pulled them to pieces. They’ve just come out of isolation last week so didn’t get done what they needed to.

“But they are a dangerous team. All over the field they are unpredictable. They move the ball on you and have trick plays that cause a lot of trouble so you have to be on it. But it’s more that we have to play for 80 minutes.”

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James Mitchinson