'˜Desperate' Devils will pose real threat '“ Powell

The West Yorkshire club have had plenty of time to ponder their opening Super 8s defeat at home to St Helens last Thursday.

They will seek to quickly respond this evening with a victory that will edge them closer to a first-ever League Leaders’ Shield.

Salford were early challengers for that honour themselves and the first team to beat Castleford back in March but they have lost their last five matches to see their top-four hopes endangered.

Yet Powell said: “I think we’re facing a team that’s desperate.

“It showed with St Helens that they were desperate to win and I think Salford will be the same.

“They’ve had some losses recently but they’ve been in the battle in most games; they were 14-all against Hull FC and close as well against Wigan in the Challenge Cup semi at half-time.

“They are battling hard and have got good players.

“They’ve signed a couple and Manu Vatuvei in particular is a big old human being. I see them as a really good side.”

Powell has urged his own winger, Jy Hitchcox, the Australian standing in for injured top-scorer Greg Eden, to show more confidence with his finishing after the 26-12 defeat against Saints.

“I had a chat with Jy,” he said. “He had two clear opportunities to score and didn’t really back himself. They could have been game-turners.

“It was a good game with high intensity and we had loads of good attacking position.

“But we’ve looked at some of the areas we were a little bit off the pace with.

“When you do lose you learn a lot about yourselves as a coaching staff and the way we’ve gone about the period round the game.

“We’ve only lost four league games this year, though, and by less than 20 points, so we’re not going to throw the baby out with the bathwater. We will try and tidy a few things up for Salford and are just looking to improve.

“In the Super 8s last year we won five from seven and are looking to do something similar now.”

If they do, Castleford will finish top for the first time in 91 years.