Christmas Camp sets standards for Castleford Tigers - Shenton

Shenton admitted the camp - with pre-dawn starts and evening finishes - has not felt very festive, but described the get-together, before pre-season begins properly next month, as vital.

“When you do days like this, these little mini-camps when the weather is difficult, it’s tough, you have got to steel your mind to it and work well in small groups, you grow your values and team spirit,” the long-serving captain said.

“They are massively important, these kinds of days.

“We could easily have just come in on January 4, [when] most teams are coming in, but we all know how important this season is.”

Shenton stressed: “We didn’t hit the standards we wanted to last year, there was a lot of disruption with Covid and stuff like that, but we have got to put all that behind us and we have to move forward.

“I think we have made some exceptional signings, some real quality, motivated people who are going to add to this team - strength, depth, it is all there.

“This camp is a way of setting the standard: ‘this is what we expect boys, let’s get together and have a real dig before Christmas, set our standards, enjoy Christmas and New Year off for the first time, but then you know what’s expected of you when we come back in and we can really start building’.”

There are no games over the holiday period and Shenton admitted it has been good to spend the time with his family.

He said: “It was nice to have a bit of time off before the camp.

“Normally we would be training right up until Christmas Eve so it is nice to have that time with the family and we’ve got that time between Christmas and New Year when you’re not worrying about training; you can do little bits to keep ticking over and stay in good nick, but it is a chance to chill out, relax and freshen your mind up so you’re ready to go when we come back in.”

Of Tigers’ prospects for 2021, Shenton insisted: “I can’t wait.

“I am really excited, I see the boys here, there are smiles on their faces and they are motivated.

“I know they have been working hard in the off-season, everyone feels they didn’t do themselves justice in 2020 so let’s move on and make sure that doesn’t happen again and we are really challenging at the top in 2021.”