'Realistic' Craig Lingard keeps Castleford Tigers grounded amid form spike
Craig Lingard is not getting carried away with Castleford Tigers' form spike, stressing that it is too early in their development to say they have turned the corner.
The Castleford squad underwent major surgery at the end of last year after a close shave with relegation.
Lingard's men struggled in the early stages of this season amid an injury crisis but they head into Saturday's derby against Leeds Rhinos with seven points from six games.
In their last three defeats, though, the Tigers have conceded 156 points.
"I'm realistic about where we are," said Lingard.
"We know we're going to have good days and we know there are going to be bad days.
"We're hoping we're going to have more good days than bad days but those bad days are still going to be there, just because of where we are as a team. We're not a top-end Super League team with top-end Super League players; we've got a team that are learning about each other and their own games.
"The messages are getting there but we've got to accept that we're not good enough to be consistent enough all the way through the season.
"I wouldn't say we've necessarily turned the corner and we're now suddenly going to win games left, right and centre but we're certainly hoping that the confidence is growing in the team."
Whereas Castleford's form has picked up since the last West Yorkshire derby in late March, the Rhinos have won just twice in the intervening period to crank up the pressure on Rohan Smith.
Lingard has braced his team for a backlash from Leeds' meek defeat at St Helens.
"You look at the table points-wise and it doesn't look too bad," he said.
"I guess expectation-wise it's a little bit different. There are always big expectations there so they'll be potentially expecting more than what they've given so far.
"We'll be expecting the best Leeds Rhinos after the second-half performance last week, which was like ours against St Helens.
"We're fully prepared for a reaction. Hopefully we can maintain a little bit of consistency and continuity in our performance from the first 65 minutes against Hull."
Castleford's injury problems have eased but Lingard has faced late disruption ahead of the short trip to Headingley.
"I've named the 17 but the likelihood is that 17 is going to change," he said.
"We've got massive question marks over a couple of people so everyone in the 21-man squad has been told to prepare to play. I've got one person off at hospital having scans.
"I think I must have slept with a leprechaun's wife somewhere along the way because it just seems you get a little bit of consistency and then every now and again you're knocked straight back again."