Castleford Tigers coach praises players, makes 'flash in the pan' warning ahead of Salford Red Devils clash

Tigers visit Salford Red Devils on Sunday, eight days after their Betfred Super League campaign began with a 32-4 home loss to the 2023 Grand Final winners. But Castleford were 4-2 ahead when prop Liam Watts was sent-off 11 minutes before half-time and Lingard has called for a repeat of that “real good effort”.

He said: “To play for in excess of 50 minutes with 12 men, against a side as good as Wigan, showed what we’ve been working on in pre-season - togetherness, desire, desperation, that will to play for the club - was there. Our challenge is to make sure we replicate that this week against Salford and the week after against Warrington and the week after against Huddersfield.

“It can’t be a flash in the pan, it has to be something we take into every single game. Hopefully if we get that and a bit more continuity and connection between the players, once the weather starts getting better and the grounds are firmer we can show what we can do with ball in hand a bit more.”

Lingard admitted losing Watts, who was handed a four-match ban, is “tough”, but insisted that won’t be used as an excuse for not performing. “We’ve not let it impact on us a great deal,” he stressed. “It hasn’t affected our training and Wattsy is going to do everything he can to help the boys not only for this week, but the next three games he is missing.”

Lingard stressed: “We have taken it in our stride, I just think it’s disappointing we are focussing on these incidents - the red and yellow cards and the bans - rather than the attendances last week, which was a real good news story. We need to focus on the good news stories, rather than the negative ones coming out of rugby league. Then we can grow the game.”

Rowan Milnes has recovered from injury and is in contention for his Tigers debut. Cain Robb, Brad Martin, Sammy Kibula and Albert Vete retain their place in the initial squad after not playing last week.

Salford could give a debut to Samoan international winger David Nofoaluma, who has joined them from NRL: side Wests Tigers.

Salford Red Devils: from Brierley, Macdonald, Lafai, Cross, Cust, Sneyd, Singleton, Borough, Vuniyayawa, Stone, Watkins, Atkins, Wright, Shorrocks, Ormondroyd, Hellewell, Dixon, Foster, Morgan, Hankinson, Nofoaluma.

Castleford Tigers: from Hooley, Simm, Broadbent, Wood, Senior, Richardson, Miller, Lawler, El-Zakhem, Westerman, Horne, Milnes, Putt, Hall, Mustapha, Tasipale, Qareqare, Robb, Martin, Kibula, Vete.

Referee: James Vella (Sydney).

Kick-off: Saturday, 3pm.