Tigers v Catalans - R5 SL

stuey

We can not name a full squad with only 20 fit players.

I fancy our chances with 60 points start!!

Maturecasfan

Shouldn’t allow players to fly to the other side of the world to go to a mates wedding.
Bloody amateur club. Who does that.
Going about right way to lose fans.
Club don’t care why should the fans.

Hepworth

Lowering the age of the squad seems to have worked then,down to the bare bones for this one. I do get with the likes of Namo he’s returning from long term injury so will need time to get back to full fitness but others have no such excuse, just a total lack of professional pride in showing up unfit and overweight. The knock on from that is they’re pushed harder in training to get into shape and then get injured. Catch 22 because then you have to ease off on the fit guys to protect them. Honestly it’s farcical.

pirate

Its a free hit, we will either get hammered or sneak a one pointer

Players are returning to fitness and we will see a different Cas in a week or 2

Hepworth

pirate That’s pretty much how I see it,even without the injuries I expected us to have a tough start,nothing to lose in France if we show a better attitude, hopefully a confidence booster against Batley and if my info is right 5 or 6 more players available for the Leeds/Salford home games.

mdean

Anything better than the Huddersfield result will be a pleasant surprise I am afraid. Depressing as that is to type!

FlatCapper

Fear the worst for this one and I’m struggling to find enthusiasm on the injury front as well. As with so many things at Cas injuries seem to take one step forward and two steps back.

DR has gone from a simple HIA failure to God knows what, QQ 10 weeks away, El-Zakem appears to have a long-standing knee injury that has flared up again with a ‘fingers crossed’ on the possible return date, Mizzy had an op, Griffin had an op, Tate still a long way off with another ‘fingers crossed’ return date.

stuey

From Craig Lingard

CASTLEFORD TIGERS“Go somewhere else” – Castleford Tigers boss issues brutal warning to playersby Cam PattisonMarch 15, 2024

Castleford Tigers Head Coach has issued a warning to his players after their defeat to Huddersfield Giants.

The Castleford Tigers were battered by the Huddersfield Giants 50-8 last week and Craig Lingard has said that players will be dropped in response.

He said on BBC West Yorkshire Sport: “We’ve had some really honest conversations about our standards and what’s not acceptable and there’s certainly some things that are going to change this week and in terms of personnel as well because it’s what it needed.

“The games that we have had this year, the first three games that we had have been really positive and we have played well in parts in every single game but the Huddersfield Giants game wasn’t acceptable by any of our standards and we have made sure the players know that and the players know that themselves.”

He added: “I can’t pick the same 17 players who played against Huddersfield last week. It can’t happen. There has to be consequences.”

Has he any choice but to pick the same team, as we have about a dozen injured.

Hepworth

I think he’s made as many changes as he’s able to given the injuries when in reality he’d have been justified in dropping the bulk of the team after last week’s performance. All we can hope for is a better effort this week but I’m right behind Lingard in his decision to drop players. The only exception I would have made was Namo who was down to play for the reserves last week but stepped up cos he was needed when everyone knew he wasn’t fit,he wasn’t great in the little he did but needs minutes.

Matt

I turned off at half time. Couldn’t watch another week of Cas being hammered by <insert team here>

So far we continue to make the RFLs life easier on who to relegate. Wouldn’t be so bad if the scores were a little closer. All these blow outs won’t be helping our cause.

Anyway at least we have Batley coming up - might be able to keep the score respectable.

Maturecasfan

0/5 sickens me.

stuey

Maturecasfan
It will be 0/8 in 4 weeks time

Maturecasfan

stuey

More than likely.

Hepworth

It’s tough to take at the minute, but when you’re struggling as we are what you don’t need is a raft of penalties and six agains in the first ten minutes, jeez it was like the Alamo. Then when you’ve actually played some decent rugby and opened up the opposition the try is disallowed due to a defender doing his best dying swan impression. But we were second best for 78 of the 80 minutes and were deservedly beaten. Positively it was a vast improvement on our performance against the Giants, I think we’ve found our full back going forward and we should never see Vete in a Cas shirt again,however short on numbers we are.

FlatCapper

Glutton for punishment that I am, I’m finding our performances quite interesting. Yes, there are clear errors but many are simple measures that can, and should, be eradicated over time.

Other aspects, like the six again, are beyond my comprehension. the prime example of this was the one where the Catalan players didn’t appear to believe they had six again and continued throwing it about until someone finally put a grubber in. All on the zero tackle!

The defensive line speed remains pedestrian and it’s noticeable that we stand and wait for the opposition to run at us whilst they are in our faces as the half-back makes the first pass. It’s so simple, yet very effective. Mind you, we’d only get pulled for offside.

There are other aspects that are pure bad luck, when things just don’t come off. Yes, better execution would solve it but like the 50/50 ref calls, when your luck is out, it stays out.

Anyway, Broady did more at fullback than Hooley as so far this season and Robb is lively at acting half.

I’m not certain we’ll win at Batley but if we do, it may just be the start of something brighter…