Castleford Tigers: Normanton product Hampshire poised for competitive Cas debut

Tigers coach Daryl Powell confirmed Hampshire, who is spending the season on loan from Wigan Warriors, will make his competitive debut in the First Utility Super League round-five showdown.

The Normanton Knights product has been unable to displace Tigers’ first-choice play-makers in the opening weeks of the season, but stand-off Roberts has been ruled out of Sunday’s game after suffering a foot injury in the defeat at St Helens last Friday.

Powell said: “Ryan will get an opportunity this week.

“He has been waiting patiently up to now.

“He played in a couple of pre-season games and he has had quite a long time to look at how we play.

“This is the chance he has wanted at half-back and I am looking forward to seeing him play.”

It has been a long wait for Hampshire.

But Powell added: “He has been pretty good, he has got his head down and got on with it. It is quite hard to come into new systems and pick it up straight away.

“But he was always going to get an opportunity.

“He has got a lot of ability and if he utilises that within how we play the game, he will be great for us.”