Castleford Tigers v Wakefield Trinity: Daryl Powell deploys mind games ahead of Magic Weekend derby

Alex Ferguson was the master of psychological warfare in football – famously forcing Kevin Keegan to crack during a tense title race in the 1990s – while veteran rugby league coach Wayne Bennett has long since mastered the poker face.

Daryl Powell, who himself has been involved in the sport for decades, knows all about the power of mind games – and he has dusted off an old classic ahead of Wakefield Trinity's Magic Weekend clash with Castleford Tigers.

The 59-year-old has claimed his former club are "pretty strong favourites" to claim the spoils on Tyneside despite the table suggesting otherwise.

On the face of it, there is some justification for Powell's take.

Castleford have shown signs of life in recent weeks after bolstering their struggling pack, while Trinity's forward ranks have been stretched by injuries.

But in the context of a derby and Wakefield's stronger season to date, the suggestion that the Tigers are favourites feels more like an old-school attempt to shift the spotlight and let the underdog tag do its work.

"I'd expect Castleford will be feeling pretty good about themselves," said Powell, whose side fought back to beat the Tigers at Belle Vue a fortnight ago and hold a four-point advantage over their rivals in the table.

"They obviously won last week and were pretty close against us and will feel a little bit unlucky that they didn't win that game.

"Danny Mags (McGuire) has done a good job. I was asked the last time we played them if I had any advice for him but he doesn't really need any at the moment. They'll be pretty happy where they're at.

"You'd say they'd be pretty strong favourites this time looking at the way things have gone with our injuries and Castleford strengthening. I reckon the last two performances will have given them a whole lot of confidence.

"They'll come into it feeling like they've got a great chance. I think we've been awesome this year but this is a big challenge for us, that's for sure."

Powell’s comments also serve as a subtle reminder that his team are still adjusting to life in Super League, even if they dominated the Championship with a squad that looked top-flight ready.

Trinity have already shown they belong at this level – claiming notable away wins over Leeds Rhinos, Warrington Wolves and Leigh Leopards – but remain on the lookout for back-to-back victories.

Wakefield suffered a golden-point defeat to Catalans Dragons last week and lost Renouf Atoni and Caleb Hamlin-Uele to injury in the process.

On paper, 11 of Powell’s first-choice 13 are in contention to face the Tigers, though injuries have left him short in key areas.

"We're not picking from strength and Castleford have signed a fair few middle-unit players," added Powell.

"They're potentially leaving players out at the minute, which has flipped on its head from a couple of weeks ago.

"It's always an interesting one when you play the same team twice in three weeks."

Castleford looked to have that game in the bag at 12-0, only for Wakefield to hit back with 13 unanswered points in the final quarter.

But after watching his team respond with a comfortable win at Huddersfield Giants – just their second of the year – McGuire is sensing a mentality shift.

"I think it's been coming for a while," said McGuire, who has welcomed a raft of new signings in recent weeks, including Tom Amone and Chris Atkin.

"We did some good things in the Hull KR performance and some of the other games but didn't quite see it home.

"We've found a bit of steel and a bit more resilience over these last three weeks or so. That's probably due to really good practice and training intensity.

"We're getting our rewards on a weekend and have just got to keep doing it. Good teams and good players can back it up."

The West Yorkshire derby brings the curtain down on the St James' Park event, with bragging rights the prize.

And while Powell has talked up Castleford's chances – in part by highlighting Wakefield's injury issues – McGuire is not buying into the underdog talk.

"They're playing well," he said.

"Powelly has got them really committed. They've got a few injuries but they're still scrapping and fighting.

"We'll have to play like we did last week at Huddersfield, build pressure and take our opportunities when they arise.

"The players are excited. They're looking forward to the different venue and the challenge."