CASTLEFORD TIGERS head coach Lee Radford has confirmed that key stars will be wrapped in ‘cotton wool’ for this Sunday’s fixture against Keighley Cougars.
Radford’s side suffered badly with injuries in 2022 with the likes of Jake Trueman, Niall Evalds, Ryan Hampshire and Danny Richardson all missing large chunks of the season.
In order to alleviate the potential of that happening again, Radford has called in more opposed sessions with other sides as well as keeping some players at bay from playing.
“We have more opposed sessions this year, firstly because we have managed to integrate the first-team squad with some of the younger players,” Radford said.
“Secondly we decided to run opposed sessions against some good players from Wakefield, York, Keighley, Featherstone and those sessions were beneficial as well.
“We did that at Hull a number of times but didn’t do it last year as much as I’d have liked. In terms of putting your strongest squad out against the opposition, you know what’s coming on a 13 v 13 against your own team but coming up against someone fresh and different attacking structures is a challenge.
“We also get officials in to referee it, we appreciate them coming in. It restricts injuries you might pick up in a friendly, there is some real mileage in it.”
Radford has admitted that his side were ‘physically underdone’ for the beginning of the 2022 Super League season.
“We were underdone last season, but there were reasons for that. Jordan Turner had one week of pre-season, Paul McShane missed three-quarters pre-season as did Adam Milner.
:We were physically underdone in terms of the players getting their reps in on the training field.
“I’m going to touch wood now, I think there is only Callum McLelland who is in that current position at the moment so hopefully that amount of health will only help us.”
The Castleford boss has admitted that he is disappointed in not seeing McLelland on the field.
“It’s really disappointing, we signed him on the impression he would be back last April and that never happened.
It was all systems go for the start of this season, but we need to see progression in him and getting him on the field has been an issue.
“It’s one of them, I don’t want to predict something and it doesn’t come off.”
Castleford travel to the Keighley Cougars on Sunday to celebrate former player Jake Webster’s testimonial, but Radford has confirmed that neither Jacob Miller nor Gareth Widdop will play, with Niall Evalds also unlikely to make the side.
“It will be a big squad for Sunday, most will be playing with a lot of interchanges.
“The core of the squad will be playing. We can’t afford some players to get injured so I will wrap some in cotton wool until the game against Huddersfield.
“Our two halfbacks won’t be participating and won’t be doing so until Huddersfield for obvious reasons and Niall (Evalds) is in that same bracket as well.
“Sunday is an opportunity to look at areas of improvement in us and things we have to tweak ahead of the Super League campaign.”
