Daryl Powell has pragmatic approach to pre-season with Castleford Tigers
Tigers lost Luke Gale for the whole of 2019 after he was injured in a January training session and fellow half-back Jamie Ellis was another pre-season victim, but Powell is refusing to dwell on the potential dangers of warm-up games or practice.
Castleford begin their build-up to the February 2 Betfred Super League opener against Toronto Wolfpack when Championship outfit Bradford Bulls visit the Jungle in two days’ time.
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Hide AdForwards Liam Watts and Nathan Massey are both on the casualty list and unavailable for the Christmas fixture, but Powell insisted: “That’s the nature of the sport, you don’t worry about that.”
He said: “You just go and play and that’s it.
“You can get injured in training, the sport is a physical contest and things happen here and there.
“You don’t worry about that, we’ll just get on with it and do what we need to do.”
Watts, a Man of Steel nominee this year, has a hamstring injury and Massey recently underwent shoulder surgery.
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Hide AdBut the coach stressed: “You get injuries in pre-season because it’s on, it’s pretty physical. They train harder in pre-season than at any other time of the year.
“We had 30-minute in-training [last Thursday] which was just like a game.
“You are going to get bits and bobs here and there, but he’s all right, Wattsy.
“He has got a bit of an injury, but round one he will be there.”
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Hide AdNew signings Danny Richardson, Tyler Helpi and Derrell Olpherts are all included in a 24-man Boxing Day squad which features first-team players alongside youngsters from the lower grades.
“It is mixed, but strong,” Powell said of his side for Thursday.
“It is always a mixed team in this game, but there will be some young fellas and some senior boys who I am thinking ‘I have seen a bit of a change in you and I’m looking forward to seeing you play’.”
Powell admitted Tigers won’t be at their sharpest, but believes his men are ready for a game.
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Hide AdHe revealed: “I watched the players train the other day and they were pretty much into each other.
“It is early and it’s Christmas so it’s a little bit different, but this game has been around now for a while and you just get on with it.
“It’s never going to be perfect and free-flowing, that’s the nature of it, but fans get fed up of not seeing a game so, for them, it’s great.
“For us, some players can make a big difference from the year before and I think we have got a couple of those in there and we’ll see how they go.”
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Hide AdCastleford Tigers (v Bradford Bulls): from Attley, Clare, Donnely, Doyle, Eden, Fella, Graham, Gregory, Hall, Hepi, Martin, Mata’utia, Millington, O’Neill, Olpherts, Peachey, Richardson, Robb, Schofield, Sene-Lefao, Smith, Storey, Summers, Turner.
Kick-off: Boxing Day, 11am.