Castleford Tigers head coach Daryl Powell hit out at his side for another sloppy second-half showing after defeating Huddersfield.
The Tigers established a 28-6 lead at the break, but conceded 22 second-half points, making the game much more uncomfortable than it initially seemed.
It’s not the first time the Tigers have backed off after a strong start, and Powell insisted it must end quickly.
“I thought we were pretty good in the first half and had the game by the scruff of the neck,” he told BBC Radio Leeds.
“I thought we had a pretty solid plan and we stuck to it. We scored points off the back of kicks and had a commanding lead at half-time.
“But that seems to be a message to put the cue in the rack and we did that today. They had a good second-half and we have some work to do on that.
“It is tough because we’re winning games. We got ourselves to a position where we should have got on with it but it’s shaky. It’s nervous watching the team. There’s some mental application that needs to be addressed.
“The boys have got to cop it on the chin and get on with it. They’re aware of it as well.”
Luke Gale didn’t feature due to an ankle injury, but Powell was pleased with Jamie Ellis’ display as he returned to the side to face his former club.
“He did some really good things. He got a bit giddy with a few plays but overall he did some smart things and his goal-kicking generally was really good.”
