Sponsored by
JAMES EVANS: Tigers will learn from painful cup defeat
LAST weekend's Carnegie Challenge Cup defeat at Huddersfield was a bitterly disappointing experience for the club.
But there are some positives we can draw from it too.
Obviously, everyone was hoping that we would win and go all the way to the final, so it was very disappointing to bow out with such a narrow defeat.
However, the effort we put in was fantastic, we played some good rugby and we have just got to keep building on that. If we can cut out a few of the errors, then I'm sure things will come right for us.
I must just mention too the support we got from the Cas fans at the Galpharm.
The backing they gave us was absolutely fantastic and to run out there and see them out-numbering and out-singing the Huddersfield fans was brilliant for all of us players.
It also gave me a taste of what things could be like if and when we are successful in the future. After all, you don't just do it for your team-mates and the club, but the fans as well.
They are the ones who turn up in numbers home and away to support us and we want to be successful for them too.
On Saturday, it is back to Super League action and we face Warrington Wolves at the Jungle.
Warrington are improving every week under Tony Smith and they had a narrow victory over Hull KR in the cup so we know that we are going to be in for a tough game.
My old mate Micky Monaghan, who I played with at Canberra Raiders, is part of the Wolves squad so I am looking forward to meeting up and playing against him again.
I haven't spoken to Micky yet, but no doubt we will be dropping each other a couple of texts in the build-up to the game!
Talking of Tony Smith, he has called my Cas team-mate and fellow centre Michael Shenton into his England squad for the match against France on June 13 and I have to say it is a thoroughly deserved selection.
"Shenny" has been outstanding all year and I expect him to really kick on now in both his club and international career. He is a great player to have on your shoulder and he is a really nice kid too.
There are a couple of others down at the Jungle who I am sure will also come into Tony's thoughts if they keep playing like they are doing and that's Joe Westerman and Richie Owen.
Richie has just come back from injury, but I thought he was excellent against Huddersfield, and with the other young players we have got I can only see good things for this club in the future.
For this season though, our focus has got to be on getting into the play-offs.
Although we have lost our last four league and cup games, they have all been narrow defeats.
We are well-coached and have a good squad.
We have just got to keep on working hard, tighten up on a couple of things and believe that things will change.
I am sure they will.
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Leeds
Saturday 26 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 8 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 9 C to 22 C
Wind Speed: 13 mph
Wind direction: East
