MONDAY POLL: Catalan 28 Castleford Tigers 6 – We’ll prove we are no ‘chokers’ says Tigers’ Millington

The West Yorkshire club had hoped for a victorious homecoming yesterday after defeating Catalan Dragons in France on Saturday to finish top for the first time in their 88-year history.

Yet it all went horribly awry as Daryl Powell’s team stuttered in one of their worst performances of a largely brilliant campaign.

It meant St Helens, despite losing their last two matches, clung on to finally take the League Leaders’ Shield and with it a guaranteed place in next season’s expanded World Club Challenge.

Furthermore, the chastening loss saw Castleford slip to fourth meaning they lose out on a home play-off tie and must now head to Saints for Friday’s qualifier.

Some supporters would argue this defeat was even more disappointing than last month’s Challenge Cup final loss against Leeds Rhinos when they were again far from their best on the day but at least underdogs in the club’s first Wembley appearance since 1992.

But with so much at stake, against an inconsistent Catalan side that could finish no higher than seventh, the debate lingers as to whether Powell’s side – certainly the success story of 2014 having finished 12th last term – has the mental toughness to handle occasions of such gravitas.

“People are going to say that but it’s up to us to prove them wrong,” Millington told The Yorkshire Post.

“It is a big job for us to go out there and do that but most people never thought we’d even get this far.

“Yet we have cemented the top four, the club’s best Super League finish, and that would have been unheard of not long ago.

“There’s no reason why we can’t keep proving people wrong and I think we can go on and do it (Super League).

“But we know we have to play so much better than we did in France.”

Castleford seemed to struggle in an intense heat, making too many errors and forcing more energy-sapping defence on themselves.

Catalan full-back Morgan Escaré did not make the initial breakthrough until the half-hour mark but when he added a superb second in first half injury-time, Thomas Bosc converting, the French side had a 10-0 interval lead which would always be difficult to drag back.

A poor pass from Marc Sneyd then gifted position for Zeb Taia – such a formidable presence in the Dragons pack this term – to extend that with Bosc improving.

Kirk Dixon responded for Castleford with Sneyd converting but their ball control remained too slack and it allowed former Bradford Bulls duo Ian Henderson and Elliott Whitehead to each help themselves to tries, Catalan delivering a third successive win and hinting they may not be pushovers in their elimination play-off at Leeds on Saturday.

“We went over there really confident we could do the job,” said Millington, the influential forward who was making his return from a knee injury that had sidelined him since July.

“We just weren’t good enough on the day.

“We turned over way too much ball in the second half in our own territory and against a big, 
strong side like Catalan you are not going to be able to keep them out.

“We’ve got to prove to ourselves that we can avoid turning the ball over in these big games coming up over the next few weeks.”

When asked about the mood in the aftermath, Millington – who signed a new four-year deal last week – admitted: “On Saturday night it was a pretty sombre feeling around the camp.

“We knew we’d let a great opportunity slip through our fingers. The thing about rugby league, though, is you can’t dwell too much on things as it breeds negativity.

“We weren’t jumping out of bed this (Sunday) morning but we did try to put behind us what had happened. There are going to be a few people hurting with some of the performances we put in but we have to get back on the horse.

“I’m confident we can do it at Saints. The thing about them is they have got experience of this (play-offs). They have struggled a little in their last two games but come the tough end of the season they know how to win big matches. Even though they lost at Huddersfield on Friday it was only by a point and they had 12 men.

“It will be a tough ask to go there but we’re a side that has played with confidence all year and even though we got beat pretty badly in France there’s no reason why we can’t go to Saints and win come Friday.”

Meanwhile, Millington – who missed Wembley while sidelined and was “a grump around the house for two weeks” – suffered no reaction in his recovered knee.

“It felt really good,” he said, pivotal prop Craig Huby also successfully returning from a shorter lay-off.

“I was a little worried as you are coming in on your return from injury a couple of weeks early.

“But once I got out there I didn’t feel the knee or think about it at all. I was more worried about my lungs as I played 60-odd minutes.

“It’s credit to our physio Ben Harper, though, and our medical team.

“When I saw the specialist the first time he said it was 10 weeks but they got me back in seven and I am really grateful for all their help in doing that.”

Catalan Dragons: Escare; Oldfield, Pomeroy, Duport, Millard; Bosc, Williams; Elima, Henderson, Anderson, Taia, Whitehead, Baitieri. Substitutes: Lima, Maria, Pelissier, Garcia.

Castleford Tigers: Dorn; Dixon, Webster, Shenton, Clare; Sneyd, Finn; Lynch, Clark, Jewitt, Holmes, Hauraki, Massey. Substitutes: Huby, Millington, Wheeldon, Ellis.

Referee: B Thaler (Wakefield).