Grant Millington stakes claim to make it a decade at Castleford Tigers

Prop Millington, 33, came to the fore as the West Yorkshire club took control at Hull KR on Thursday night.

They trailed 8-6 at half-time but powered on to score 20 unanswered points and go top of Super League.

Millington – who joined Castleford from Canterbury Bulldogs in 2012 – was at his marauding best, bumping off defenders and offloading in key moments to get his side back on track.

Powell conceded: “I thought he was excellent.

“He just looks like a different player this year to what he did last year.

“That’s what the last year of your contract does to you at times!

“Millo’s been a fantastic player for us. Last year wasn’t his best.

“This year he’s at a different level; he looked strong, quick and, obviously, he’s skilful.

“If he can keep playing at that level it will be awesome for us.”

Having played with Castleford in the 2014 Challenge Cup final and also played such an important role as they finished top three years later and reached a maiden Grand Final, Millington is already established as a Castleford icon.

He turns 34 in November but is not showing any signs of slowing up.

Asked if he was confident the player would go around again in 2021 – in what would be his 10th season at Wheldon Road – Powell said: “Yes. He wants to go around again and we know that.

“Everything takes its course. He’s been a big player for us and he loves it at Cas and we like him as a player.

“So we’ll be talking to him in due course.”

Millington’s experience and skills will be all the more crucial in the near future given fellow prop Liam Watts could be missing for around six weeks with a finger injury suffered at Hull KR.

Meanwhile, Danny Richardson, the scrum-half bought from St Helens in the off-season, excelled again scoring the try that put Castleford ahead, showing some slick handling and assured goal-kicking, too.

But Powell also said: “I thought he defended really well.

“They went after him a little bit but I thought he handled that really well. That’s something I spoke to him about during the week so it’s pleasing to see him physically really handle everything Hull KR threw at him.”