'Spoiled for choice': Castleford Tigers boss Lee Radford outlines surprise stand-off options for Leeds Rhinos derby

Jake Trueman and Ryan Hampshire are both nursing season-ending knee injuries, Gareth O’Brien, Jordan Turner and Callum McLelland are also on the casualty list and Paul McShane is suspended.

“Obviously somebody is going to have to play out of position,” Radford said of who will partner scrum-half Danny Richardson for the big showdown at Newcastle’s St James’ Park.

But he insisted: “It’s just another challenge we are facing and are going to have to work really hard to overcome. There’s some blokes who I think are capable of doing a job for us.

“Liam Watts, Joe Westerman, Dan Smith, Greg Eden and Derrell Olpherts have all told me they’ve played there before - I am spoiled for choice!”

With Nathan Massey also suspended, though he and McShane might have missed out anyway because of injury, Tigers are down to their last 20 available senior players.

But Radford is in no mood to make excuses and stressed: “We are still going to put a strong side out.

“The half-back situation is the big conundrum, but in terms of one-17 I am happy with what we are putting out.

“I would like to add five or six to it who are going to be in the stands, but we are going to have a really competitive squad out there.”

Leeds are on the back of a 62-16 win at Hull a week ago and will climb to seventh in Betfred Super League, just one point outside the play-offs, if they win.

“The way they are playing has changed slightly,” Radford noted of Tigers' opponents under their new coach Rohan Smith.

“I think they are [looking like] the Leeds of old, they are putting a lot of air on the ball.

“They are going lateral early, they have got some really good lateral ball carriers who test you both sides of the ruck and I think they are strong on both edges.”

He added: “I would imagine they’ll be in good spirits after last week.

“They will have a spring in their step, but we just want to continue with what we’ve been doing in terms of our effort. Maintaining that and building on it is important for us.

“This one has a big-game feeling to it because of the stadium and I’ve been told Cas have never been beaten up there, so hopefully we can continue that.”

Radford played in the first Magic Weekend, at Cardiff in 2007 and is a fan of the event.

“I think Newcastle is definitely the best of the grounds it has been played at,” he said. “Atmosphere-wise, it is really good and socially, away from the game, the supporters get in and among it on an evening as well.

“It is a spectacle for the sport; it’s not often you get three games televised in one day, so that can only be a plus. To finish the Saturday off with a win in a derby would be really big for us.”