Tigers are heading back to the Galpharm Stadium less than three weeks after an agonising 16-14 defeat there in a Carnegie Challenge Cup quarter-final and coach Terry Matterson admitted: "I hope that's a motivation."

According to Matterson, the cup defeat was the root cause of a slump in form which has seen Castleford subsequently lose 34-18 at home to Warrington Wolves and hammered 50-10 at St Helens last week.

Matterson added: "Since that game we haven't been the same team.

"We spent a lot of physical and mental energy and to come up short the way we did was certainly a major factor in the last two weeks.

"We have got to put that behind us, but hopefully we can take some motivation from it – and the first time we played them this year as well.

"They have beaten us by two points twice. We are there or thereabouts, but we need the result to go our way this time."

Tigers are on a six-game losing run in league and cup, but Matterson reckons the last two results have provided the biggest cause for concern.

"Defensively, we haven't been where we were," he said.

"We were very good defensively in the previous five or six weeks.

"I am not sure how much of that we can put down to the Challenge Cup, but it's no coincidence that ourselves and Hull KR, who both came off heart-breaking Challenge Cup losses, have not been great in the last two weeks.

"We are in a five-game losing streak in the league and the last two have been poor performances.

"Before that we were playing really well, without getting the results.

"We have got to snap out of it. There are still plenty of opportunities to get to where we want to be at the end of the season – in the top eight – but we can't still be on a losing run in a couple of weeks' time."

Giants let a 12-0 lead slip at Leeds Rhinos last Sunday, but a big win tonight could take them second in the table and Matterson said: "They are in every game they play.

"They are a tenacious team, they are always competing and they are a very good side.

"We will have to be on top of our game to beat them.

"I have been very impressed with them – it is no fluke where they are in the table.

"Over the 16 games they've been very good, but we know we can compete with them.

"We have been in the game until the last minute both times and we have got to take a lot of heart out of that."

Tigers will be boosted by the return from England duty of centre Michael Shenton and back-rower Joe Westerman.

"That's a bonus," said Matterson.

"Shenny has turned into a real professional and he has come back a more confident person."

Centre James Evans is also back in contention for Tigers after missing last week's game due to a neck/shoulder problem.

Front-rower Ryan Boyle, who didn't play at Knowsley Road, has been named in the 19 but James Ford – a centre last week – is sidelined by a hamstring injury and teenager Jordan Thompson drops out after coming on as a substitute at Saints.

Winger Martin Aspinwall and hooker Shaun Lunt drop out from the Giants side which lost at Leeds.

Hooker Scott Moore and front-rower Eorl Crabtree return from England duty and back Leroy Cudjoe and pack man Simon Finnigan are also bidding for a recall.

Huddersfield Giants (from): B Hodgson, Cudjoe, Lolesi, Whatuira, D Hodgson, Brown, Robinson, Griffin, Moore, Mason, Wild, Raleigh, Mossop, Jackson, Fulton, Sculthorpe, Faiumu, Crabtree, Finnigan.

Castleford Tigers (from): Owen, Dixon, Shenton, Evans, Wainwright, Chase, McGoldrick, Higgins, Netherton, Huby, Ferres, Jones, Faumuina, Westerman,Sargent, Clayton, Feathers, Widders, Boyle.

Referee: Steve Ganson (St Helens).

Kick-off: Tonight, 8pm.

Meanwhile, Super League clubs have voted to stick with a draw to determine the fixtures for next May's Magic Weekend in Edinburgh.

Clubs had considered reverting to the derbies used for the first two years but decided at their mid-season meeting yesterday to repeat the draw, with a slight change to the seeding system.

Ends