Castleford coach Daryl Powell hits out at scheduling of Tigers and Hull FC games

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josie andrews
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Castleford coach Daryl Powell hits out at scheduling of Tigers and Hull FC games

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The Castleford coach isn't happy his side play the night before Hull in the race for the play-offs

Castleford coach Daryl Powell has questioned the decision of Super League bosses to bring forward his club’s final game of the regular season and potentially give rivals Hull FC a favour in the hunt for the last play-off spot.

Powell’s men leapfrogged Hull into fifth place with a 44-12 win over them in the penultimate round at the Mend-a-Hose Jungle last Thursday and victory at Wigan in the last match will cement a semi-final place.

However, defeat at the DW Stadium would give the Black and Whites the opportunity to reclaim fifth spot with a win over St Helens at the KCOM Stadium.

“I don’t think it’s great, to be honest,” Powell said. “If you’re going to put all the relegation games on the same day, is the play-offs not as important?

“I think they should have done (kicked off at the same time). That makes it fair for both teams.

“But it is what it is. We’ve just got and go and do our job and not think about getting a favour from anywhere.

“We’ve got to win a game and not worry about anything on the peripheries. But I think it could have been done a little better.”

Powell will check on the fitness of prop Grant Millington, who went off during the win over Hull with a “dead” leg, and loose forward Adam Milner who is expected to recover from illness.

Chris Clarkson is back in contention,” Powell said. “I’ve got a call to make there because he was really good before he got injured.

“The team’s going well so there’s not going to be too many changes. I think we’re in a good place.”

Wigan, who have a chance to clinch the runners-up spot going into the play-offs, expect to be without second rower Liam Farrell due to suspension but coach Adrian Lam hopes to have skipper Sean O’Loughlin and prop Ben Flower back from injury.

https://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/sport/r ... fc-3301676
Anyone can support a team when it is winning, that takes no courage.
But to stand behind a team, to defend a team when it is down and really needs you,
that takes a lot of courage. #18thMan
josie andrews
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Joined: Sun Jun 10, 2007 10:17 pm
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Re: Castleford coach Daryl Powell hits out at scheduling of Tigers and Hull FC games

Post by josie andrews »

Final round fixtures should be played on the same day, insists Castleford Tigers boss Daryl Powell

CASTLEFORD TIGERS head coach Daryl Powell believes that the final round of Super League fixtures should all kick off on the same day.

The Tigers travel to Wigan Warriors tonight, in the only top-flight game scheduled for this evening.

The other five fixtures will kick off at 7.45pm tomorrow night, after Wakefield Trinity’s clash against London Broncos and Hull KR’s fixture with Salford Red Devils were both moved forward from Sunday afternoon.

The games were moved due to the sides being locked in a four-way relegation battle and Powell feels the same should be done for the teams fighting to reach the play-offs.

The Tigers know that a victory tonight will guarantee them a place in the top five while a defeat would leave them needing a favour from St Helens, who travel to Hull FC tomorrow.

“I don’t think it’s great to be honest,” said Powell of the final-round fixture schedule.

“If you are going to put all the relegation games on the same day, is the play-offs not as important?

“I think they should have done, that makes it fair for both teams. But it is what it is.”

Powell insists, however, that Castleford will not be relying on favours from elsewhere as they seek to make the play-offs for the third season running.

He added: “We have just got to go and do our job and not think about getting a favour from anywhere.

"It is going to be tough because Wigan are playing well and are winning games consistently. They are always good at home and difficult to beat there.

“We have got to win the game and not worry about anything on the peripheries but I think it could have been done a little bit better.”

Wigan have enjoyed superb form of late, with a late-season surge firing them into the top five.

Adrian Lam’s side got off to a shaky start in 2019 but have improved immensely and are now second favourites to win the Grand Final.

Powell continued: “They have got good players but they started so poorly.

“Obviously a new coach is going to have an impact and he is doing a pretty good job.

“They look good at the moment, they look fluent and they have got a couple of good young kids coming through and playing in the pack.

And they are very aggressive and they get under people’s skin and our job is to take that away from them.”

Grant Millington has been named in Castleford’s 19-man squad for tonight’s game but Powell confirmed the prop picked up a minor knock against Hull last week.

Meanwhile, Wigan will be without forward Liam Farrell after he was banned for one game by the RFL Disciplinary Panel.

https://www.pontefractandcastlefordexpr ... -1-9990246
Anyone can support a team when it is winning, that takes no courage.
But to stand behind a team, to defend a team when it is down and really needs you,
that takes a lot of courage. #18thMan
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