'A worry': interim-boss Andy Last talks Castleford Tigers form ahead of Leeds Rhinos and hopes for top job

The derby will be Last’s second game in caretaker charge since Lee Radford’s departure, following a 36-6 loss at Huddersfield Giants six days earlier.

He is keen to take the job on a full-time basis, but stressed: “The club are working their way through the applications which have come in and there’s been plenty of them.

“It’s a club that’s held in high regard, one with great history and one I am proud to lead at this moment in time.

“Hopefully I’ll get the opportunity to lead it moving forward, but the best way I can confirm the opportunity I’ve got at the moment is by getting the players to play better.

“Ultimately they will decide whether I get the job. Hopefully they play well against Leeds, we get the result and that might get me a week closer to getting the job.”

Rhinos are aiming for a third successive win, which would lift them, for 24 hours, to third in Betfred Super League.

Tigers are yet to win this term, but 12 months ago Rhinos were also searching for a new head-coach after a poor start to the campaign.

They went on to reach the Grand Final and Last insisted Tigers can take inspiration from that.

He said: “It is a worry at the moment because we’ve played four games and got four losses, but the season’s a long one.

“If we can get a couple of good performances and a couple of wins, the tweak is capable of catching fire and going on a good run.

“We are taking it one game at a time and we can’t look past Leeds because they’ve had two very good results.”

“They showed what they are about in the second-half against Wakefield last week, they stayed in the arm wrestle and then a bit of quality shone through for them to score 26 unanswered points.

“They are a very, very good side. I have the utmost respect for Leeds as a club, but we’ve got to make sure we deliver on Thursday.”