Castleford Tigers up for the fight as coach Ryan Carr stresses simple approach to Hull KR challenge
Castleford Tigers are expecting a “fight” at Hull KR tonight (Thursday), but boss Ryan Carr reckons they can pull off a shock if they get the simple things right.
Tigers backed up their heavy Easter defeat to Wakefield Trinity by winning at Wigan Warriors in their next game and Carr wants to see a similar response following last Friday’s 50-10 home drubbing by Hull FC. It is a daunting challenge away to the 2025 treble-winners who have hit good form after a below-par start to the campaign.
“They are World Club champions, the best in the world as it stands,” Carr noted. “They are a talented team and have been consistently good for the last 12-24 months. We know we are going to be in for a fight, but if you get the simple parts of your game right, you give yourselves a chance.”
The coach stressed: “I know if we get ourselves right and get our game right we are a chance of winning any game we go into. That’s how it should be, you shouldn’t be relying on the opposition being off, you have got to rely on yourself being right.”
Carr is confident Tigers can fix what went wrong against Hull. “I feel like last weekend we let ourselves down with discipline and errors,” he reflected. “I just want to see a performance where we control the controllables really well. We didn’t do that last week, but did in the game before that.”
Tigers will field a much-changed side with new signings prop Tyler Dupree and full-back Phoenix Laulu-Togaga’e set to make their debut alongside on-loan front-rower Tom Nicholson-Watton and hooker Brad Dwyer.
George Lawler is beginning a two-match ban and George Hirst (concussion), Jack Ashworth (neck) and Jenson Windley (back) drop out from last week’s team because of injury.
Castleford Tigers: from Cini, McIntosh, Ravalawa, Asi, Weaver, Atoni, Lane, Mellor, Stimson, Greacen, Doolan, Qareqare, Mapapalangi, Hall, Robb, Beckett, Dupree, Laulu-Togaga’e, Nicholson-Watton, Dwyer.
Hull KR: from Davies, Hiku, Gildart, Burgess, Lewis, May, Sue, Litten, Amone, Hadley, Batchelor, Minchella, Broadbent, Luckley, Whitbread, Martin, Brown, Lawton, Booth, Charles, Whitehead.
Referee: Jack Smith (Wigan). Kick-off: Thursday, 8pm.