Castleford Tigers head coach Daryl Powell insists he has no issue with loan players Lee Gilmour and Richard Owen facing his side this weekend, as Cas gear up to close to gap on table-topping St Helens to just two points.
A win for Castleford this Sunday against their bitter rivals would take the race for top spot into the final game of the season – with Cas away in Catalan, and Saints facing a tricky trip to Huddersfield.
But both Gilmour and Owen will line up against the Tigers this weekend – despite being on loan at Wakefield from Castleford. Powell believes there is no reason to stop them from playing – saying it would be pointless standing in their way.
“Richard Owen can play, as can Lee Gilmour. I haven’t got a major problem with that; they went there for a reason and I don’t think there’s any point in me standing in their way,” Powell said.
“They’ve both played consistently which is great, and they are both playing really well, which is a good thing for the two of them.”
The Tigers head coach admits that Wakefield are a much different beast to the side they have beaten twice already this year, and has warned of a tricky tie in prospect – especially after witnessing their heavy victory against Salford Red Devils last weekend.
“They’re a fair bit different – they’ve got Tim Smith in there now, as well as a couple of really big players. They’re a different animal to the last time we played them, especially with Tim Smith, who gives them a fair bit of quality. He’s very dangerous with the ball, and he’s a real threat for them in attack.
“They’re playing slightly differently now, so they’ll be a real challenge to us. I watched them play against Salford last week and they ripped them to pieces – I thought they were excellent.
“I think it’s going to be a great atmosphere; when you look at some of the recent Cas v Wakey games, they haven’t been the type of derby matches you come to expect. I think this one will be fantastic though, because their fans will want to come and support them, which should create a real atmosphere at both ends of the ground.”
