Castleford Tigers boss Daryl Powell targeting ‘something special’ in 2021

IT HAS been a “frustrating” season for Castleford Tigers, but coach Daryl Powell insists they are capable of achieving “something special” in 2021.

Tigers finished eighth in Betfred Super League, their lowest placing since Powell’s first season as coach, in 2013.

Castleford Tigers head coach Daryl Powell. Picture: Tony Johnson.

placeholder image — Castleford Tigers head coach Daryl Powell. Picture: Tony Johnson.

Their year ended with a whimper when an outbreak of coronavirus left them on 16 games, fewer than 10 of their 11 rivals.

Castleford were second when Covid-19 initially brought the competition to a halt in March and Powell admitted: “Position-wise it has been our worst finish for a while and that is hugely disappointing.

Half-back Jake Trueman was among a number of key Castleford Tigers players to pick up injuries during the 2020 season. Picture: Tony Johnson.

“I don’t think it is through a lack of effort, preparation or determination.

“It is has been almost a perfect storm in a lot of ways.

“We will learn lessons from this season and carry that into something special next year, which I think this group is capable of doing.”

Tigers won just twice after the competition resumed and ended the year with a win percentage of 37.50.

Castleford Tigers' Sosaia Feki missed virtually the whole 2020 campaign due to injury. Picture: Tony Johnson.

“When we went into lockdown, we were on fire,” Powell recalled.

“We had beaten St Helens and played a really great brand of rugby and it was exactly the way we wanted to play the game.

“We beat St Helens in every department, but coming back we have been quite unlucky in a few games and we have had a lot of injuries in specific positions.

“It is just so frustrating from that perspective.

“We battled pretty hard, right up to the point that we couldn’t play any more.

“In our last game we had a really tough effort against Leeds and there is a whole heap of courage and spirit around the club.

“We have just got to come back and go again.”

Of Tigers’ injury situation, Powell added: “Some of them we could do nothing about, we had a lot of issues with contact injuries and obviously the game dictates that.

“We picked up a couple where we felt we could have done things a little bit differently in lockdown. It has just been an unparalleled situation for everyone to deal with. I think everybody will have learned some lessons through this period.”

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