Castleford captain Michael Shenton admits the Tigers are desperate to transfer their league form into this year’s Challenge Cup.
The Super League leaders begin their quest to return to Wembley for the first time since 2014 on Saturday afternoon, when they face St Helens in arguably the tie of the sixth round.
And Shenton said the Tigers are also looking to put their Easter Monday defeat to the Saints right to boot.
“It’s something we desperately want to do well in,” he said.
“We’ve got a real challenge against us and one of the toughest ties, but it’ll be good to be back at home.
“They’ll have two fresh players [Alex Walmsley and Mark Percival] coming off the plan, but it’s great that our overseas players like Jesse Sene-Lefao get to see what the cup is all about. We want to go far this year.
“We didn’t match them at their place earlier this year, and we know knockout rugby is about having no second chances, so we’ll have to make sure we’re at our best.”
Shenton believes the Tigers’ victory at Huddersfield on Thursday night shows they have grown as a side from earlier in the year.
The Tigers, for the first time this year, were made to win tough over the weekend, emerging through a see-saw clash against their West Yorkshire rivals 26-21 to retain their position at the top of Super League.
Shenton also believes that the way Castleford won at Huddersfield on Thursday illustrates how they are capable of winning in different fashions.
The Tigers, for the first time this year, were made to win tough over the weekend, emerging through a see-saw clash against their West Yorkshire rivals 26-21 to retain their position at the top of Super League.
“Any win in Super League is satisfying,” he told League Express.
“But when there’s some proper adversity there and you need some character to pinch it at the death, that makes it really pleasing for me.
“We stayed calm and it shows we’ve grown a lot as a team – even in this season. You look at games like Salford and St Helens we lost, and it shows that we’re learning and we’re getting better.”
