Leeds Rhinos boss Rohan Smith makes 'desperate teams' prediction for Magic Weekend clash v Castleford Tigers

Tigers have won just twice in 14 competitive games this season, but one of those victories was at home to Leeds in March.

Castleford are second from bottom in Betfred Super League, four points ahead of Wakefield Trinity and six behind the side immediately above them, Hull FC.

Their 14-8 success three months ago, coupled with Rhinos’ recent poor results and mounting injury list, will give them hope of ending a six-game losing run at Newcastle’s St James’s Park and Smith warned: “What we expect every week is a hard contest.

“It’s two teams who are desperately looking for a good performance and a result so we are looking forward to that competition.

“We saw what they are good at [in the previous meeting], but this is a totally different time of the season and different weather conditions to playing in the mud on a small pitch.

“We let ourselves down in certain areas that day, but there has been a lot of water under the bridge since then and each game is its own.”

Tigers haven’t won since Andy Last was appointed head-coach, though their victory over Leeds was during his spell as interim-boss.

“We respect what they’ve been doing under a new coach,” Smith added. “They’ve changed how they do some things and they’ll be looking to come at us as we will to them.”

Rhinos led 8-6 midway through the game at the Jungle, but failed to score in the second half and Smith insisted: “We wish we’d played better that night.

“But it’s about this game and we want to play well. I know some people look at it and some of the players probably do as well.

“They probably feel like they owe Cas one, but for me it is about this game and we want to play well and get a good result.”

Rhinos beat Tigers at Newcastle last year, having lost against them in two previous Magic Weekend meetings.

Overall, Leeds have a 60 per cent success rate at Magic, with nine wins and six defeats.

Those losses came in successive seasons from 2013-2018, after Rhinos won their opening six games at the weekend.

Magic’s future has been in doubt, with the sport’s strategic partners IMG pressing for it to be scrapped, but clubs have backed the event and it looks set to continue beyond this year.

Smith said: “I love footy and I can watch game after game after game, so the concept of having three big games back to back and coming back the next day for three more, whether it’s live or on TV - I love that, personally.

“I think for the game it is great to take it to a city that’s not a traditional rugby league place and grow the game that way.

“The NRL have followed the concept and had great success with it and every game being on TV is a great thing for our sport, I believe.

“I am not privy to the decision-making process that goes around concepts like this, but for me, I think it’s great.”