Castleford coach Daryl Powell says that his side’s first-ever League Leaders’ Shield triumph is a success story for rugby league: not just his own club.
The Tigers will finish top of rugby league’s first division for the first time in their history after beating Wakefield 45-20 to confirm top spot in Super League ahead of the play-offs.
And Powell said that it has to be regarded as a good thing in the wider scale, as well as just for Castleford.
He said: “This is little old Castleford. This sort of thing has happened before.
“It’s massive for me as a coach. The belief I have had in these players they have gone on and does the job.
“It’s a great story for rugby league, not just Castleford Tigers. It’s a good news story because people are talking about rugby league because we have done this. Why wouldn’t you want that?”
Powell will now start planning a path to the Grand Final, and added: “Whoever we play (in the home semi-final for a place in the Grand Final) it will be a tough game, there are no given right because you are at home.
“It’s going to be tough and Grand Finals are always tough. I was fortunate to play in one and it was unbelievably tough.
“We have some tough games ahead of us but you have got to enjoy things that happen in your life and this is a big one for us.
“It has never happened at the club before so this group of people (will) end up in the history books of Castleford Tigers and that’s special.”
