Castleford Tigers boss Daryl Powell desperate to get the fans back

Under the current government roadmap, supporters can return to sport stadia across England from May 17.

The Tigers have moved their home game with Hull KR to that date, which is a Monday, in a bid to welcome supporters back as soon as possible.

Castleford made their first appearance at their home ground for 197 days when they hammered Leigh Centurions 52-16 on Friday night.

“We want fans back in, that is just around the corner, but it was great to be back in there,” said head coach Powell.

“The feel of the place is awesome anyway, even without the fans in.

“We will be delighted to get fans back in on May 17, and start moving forward and enjoying having them behind us again.”

Castleford have won all four of their competitive fixtures in 2021 and have now beaten Leigh, Warrington Wolves and Leeds Rhinos in the opening weeks of the league campaign.

This week, they face their toughest assignment so far when they travel to Wigan Warriors who also boast a 100 per cent record in 2021.

“We always block our games up and we have got a really tough game next week in Wigan,” said Powell

“That will be a real challenge for us. After playing Warrington, Leeds and Leigh we are in a good place. We are really pleased with our start. There is loads more to come from us but the signs are really positive.”

Castleford struggled to deal with adversity in a disappointing 2020 campaign but Powell hailed the attitude from his players following their victory over Leigh.

The Tigers responded from a poor display at Hull KR in the Challenge Cup, when they needed a try after the full-time hooter and a drop-goal in Golden Point extra time to advance.

He added: “There was a strong motivation there, the boys were disappointed with what we did against Hull KR.

“I wasn’t surprised. There was energy and the communication was great.

“It was really pleasing.”