CASTLEFORD TIGERS are in a bit of a pickle near the bottom end of the Super League table.
The West Yorkshire club are second bottom with just two wins from 11 games – and that record is “incredibly frustrating” for new head coach Andy Last.
Last explained that he has had open conversations with his Castleford players.
“It’s incredibly frustrating, we had an open and honest review on the Leigh game on Saturday morning,” Last said.
“We spoke about as a team we are the second worst team in the league. a big thing is the honesty within the group. I asked questions about how many players are playing at a level that is acceptable for us and no one could put their hand up.
“That is disappointing when we have played every team in Super League and no one is playing to a level they are capable of.
“There are frustrations about making the same errors. This game is about pressure, it’s about building it, sustaining it and being able to withstand it but we haven’t been able to do that.”
One man who will not play for the Tigers against Catalans Dragons tomorrow night is Kenny Edwards, with Suaia Matagi coming in to replace the second-rower in the 21-man squad.
“Kenny has got an illness, he went down with diarrhoea and vomiting and couldn’t train Monday and didn’t train Tuesday. He was still suffering yesterday,” Last continued.
“He is ok today but underweight and we cant have any passengers against Catalans. We need players that are fully fit with plenty of energy so we have stood Kenny down.”
The Castleford boss was also asked about whether there is a chance that Danny Richardson could play in 2023 after suffering his ACL injury.
“It’s unlikely Danny will play this year but he is progressing very well. He is very professional and diligent in his rehab.”