Castleford Tigers coach Lee Radford on challenge of facing St Helens after World Club Challenge heroics

The Tigers paid the price for an insipid first-half display that allowed the Black and Whites to race into a healthy lead, which became 32-6 shortly after the interval.

Radford's men gave the hosts an almighty scare in the final quarter before falling agonisingly short of a famous comeback.

As the full-time hooter sounded at the MKM Stadium, this Sunday's opponents St Helens were making their way back from Australia with the World Club Challenge trophy after stunning Penrith Panthers in their own backyard.

Asked how he viewed the challenge of facing Saints in the aftermath of their Australian adventure, Radford said: "It was a phenomenal performance.

"I'm really pleased for them and the result is a real shot in the arm for Super League. Credit where credit is due – they've been unbelievable for the last four years.

"You watch how they were defensively and can only have admiration for them.

"Hopefully their sleep patterns are out of kilter for the rest of the week."

Castleford enjoyed a comfortable win over St Helens on home soil last year, albeit against a heavily weakened side.

Regardless of the team selected by Paul Wellens on Saints’ return to Super League duty, Radford expects his side to be up for the clash with the four-peat champions.

"Ironically I don't actually mind playing against a Saints or a Wigan because you know what you're going to get," he added. "If you're not at it, you know you're in for a shellacking.

"There are other games where you should be up for it and could get them if they don't quite turn up but those two teams in particular over the course of my first-team coaching career, there has never been any question where you've got to be when you take those blokes on."

The round two clash offers the Tigers the chance to right the wrongs of their inauspicious start at the MKM Stadium.

Radford will challenge Castleford to come out firing after seeing a lack of intent from his team against his former club.

"It wasn't the result I wanted or the performance I wanted," he said.

"I'm really, really disappointed with the start – it took us 60 minutes to get going.

"We had a lack of desire to take them anywhere tough. That was a frustration because we had an awful long time to build up to this fixture.

"To see a start where we were so reluctant to be tough is a frustration.

"Everything I said before the game unfortunately didn’t land with any of them. As a coach, that’s when you’re kicking yourself because you’ve obviously not done your job getting that to drop with them.

"The first time we challenged them with set-to-set stuff was in the 60th minute. To wait that long to get in that grind is disgusting.”