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Kirk Dixon: Exciting play-off times for the Castleford Tigers
Sunday will be my first Super League play-off and I can't wait. We are in sudden death and every game from now on will be like a cup final for us.
Everyone I have spoken to tells me the play-offs are something totally different.
It's a much higher intensity and we know we're going to have to raise our game by 10 or 20 per cent to keep our season going, but we are confident we can do that.
We'd have preferred to go into the play-offs on the back of a better performance, but at least we finished the league campaign with two wins and the way we played against Celtic last week isn't a particular concern.
We got the victory, which was the most important thing, though we know if we play like that on Sunday against Wigan it won't be good enough.
That said, you've got to give Celtic some credit. They threw the ball around, it was their last game of the season and they had nothing to lose.
Pushed
We will be looking to tighten up a few areas this week and we know we need to be on our mettle, but hopefully we can go to Wigan, do what we did at the start of the season, and come away with a win.
We knew before Sunday that we'd be away to either Wigan or Wakefield and, personally, I wasn't bothered which.
At this stage of the season, I don't think it matters who you play – if you're in the top-eight, you're a good side.
It's always tough at Wigan, but we pushed them close at home a few weeks ago and we've won there already this year.
They maybe weren't at their best on Sunday either, but we won't be reading anything into that. Everybody will be looking to improve 100 per cent this week.
Nobody is going to give us much chance of reaching Old Trafford, but we are confident we can go well in the play-offs and, like every other club, our aim is to reach the Grand Final.
They are all one-off games now and we know if we play well anything can happen. Finishing where we did, we have got to win every game from here on in and we have to perform week in and week out, but our away form has been good this year and we know we're capable of competing with anyone.
We've worked hard all year to get this far and losing at the first hurdle would be a huge disappointment but, looking at the season as a whole, I think we can be pretty pleased.
We've improved a lot from last year, but we still want to prove we're worth our spot in the top eight and that Castleford are a force in Super League.
The club are already making signings for next season but, to be perfectly honest, at the moment I am more bothered about what happens this weekend than next year.
I think we've got a pretty good squad already and, as far as I know, our coach Terry Matterson isn't planning major changes.
However, if he can bring players in who are going to improve us as a team that has got to be a good thing.
The club is going forward and it's exciting times.
Interview: Peter Smith
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Weather for Leeds
Friday 10 February 2012
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Temperature: -9 C to 1 C
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