Castleford Tigers coach Ryan Carr talks growing confidence, greater resilience and 'big challenge' v St Helens

Tigers are on the back of a tough 24-18 win at York Knights seven days earlier. Their three previous Betfred Super League victories this year were all followed by a heavy defeat, but Tigers kept York scoreless in the second period last week, despite having prop George Hirst sin-binned late on and Carr reckons that was a sign they are heading in the right direction.

Carr admitted Saints, Super League leaders at the start of round 12, will be “a big challenge for us”, but insisted: “Our confidence and our belief and our connection’s growing every week. All we can focus on is the next challenge.

“They are all tough games in Super League and this is no exception. We’ve just got to make sure our application and concentration and commitment is just as high as it was against York.”

Carr felt Tigers “did things consistently for longer periods” in the win at Knights and he’s looking for more of the same in Saturday’s game, on the Sky Sports+ red button and SuperLeague+. He said: “There’s been glimpses of it, we do it for periods in games, but if you want to win you’ve got to do it for big periods and for the full game.

“That is something we are trying to learn and grow and build, that consistency in our performances within games, from one five-minute period to the next. I thought we showed better resilience in adversity, particularly when we went down to 12 men. I reckon we got that type of mentality wrong in previous weeks. The boys did a good job of not letting it be an excuse and we stood up strong in that period.”

Hirst begins a two-match ban this week, but outside-backs Semi Valemei and Mikaele Ravalawa are back in contention after injury.

Castleford Tigers from: Valemei, Cini, McIntosh, Ravalawa, Asi, Weaver, Atoni, Lawler, Lane, Mellor, Stimson, Greacen, Ashworth, Senior, Qareqare, Mapapalangi, Hall, Robb, Golding, Laulu-Togaga’e, Dupree.

St Helens: from Welsby, Feldt, Robertson, Percival, Cross, Sailor, Lomax, Walmsley, Clark, Sironen, Wright, Klemmer, Delaney, Whitley, Murphy, Stephens, Shorrocks, Dagnall, Davies, Humphreys, Hastings.

Referee: Liam Rush (Dewsbury/Batley). Kick-off: Saturday, 3pm.