CASTLEFORD TIGERS interim coach Andy Last was as proud as punch as his side took home a 14-8 win against arch-rivals Leeds Rhinos.
It was nip and tuck for the entire game with Leeds going in 8-6 up at the break before Castleford hit with another Bureta Faraimo try and two Gareth Widdop goals to register their first win of the 2023 season.
For Last, it was a big and proud moment.
“I’m emotionally drained, I’m feeling a little bit tired now. I roared every emotion and every play, but I’m so pleased for the group of players. They’ve done it tough in the first four games,” Last said.
“We’ve faced adversity, we lost George Lawler before a ball had been kicked and so Muizz Mustapha came into the starting team.
“We then lost Mahe Fonua to a HIA and we had some bloodied and battered bodies out there but they showed how much it meant to the shirt.”
Last explained why Lawler didn’t end up playing despite being named in the 17 before the game.
“George picked up a sternum injury towards the back end of the Huddersfield game.
“He was sore on Monday so we trained him lightly on Tuesday and then we hoped that he would be able to get through with a painkilling injection.
“But he got a bang in the warm-up and knew straightaway he wouldn’t be able to perform. We needed our players fully operational and fit. It was a good decision.”
The interim Tigers boss loved the connection on show within and outside the playing group.
“I thought there was a real connection with the playing group and one another, they were celebrating breaks, tries and errors and then the fans got behind them.
“After the game, I made a point of thanking all the staff and the players when they came off, showing appreciation to the supporters, they’ve stuck by us during the tough times.
“They were waiting for me to come into the dressing room to sing the victory song and we nearly took the roof of the stadium.”
Last explains just what he had been saying to the players during the week to see such a remarkable shift from the side that went down 36-6 to Huddersfield Giants last week.
“We stripped it back this week, we wanted to make sure we were connected. We didn’t allow them to get them too big of a period of momentum to post points.
“When they started to build it, we broke it and forced a couple of errors which was brilliant for our energy levels.
“It was a performance based on effort, we made our first error in the 32nd minute.
“We needed a win like that, it was having that ability to come out of the grind and contest where you are going set for set against an opposition that are a good team.
“We have played some top sides. Hull FC at Hull is a tough game and then we played Wigan, St Helens and Huddersfield who were the top three last year. They are the masters of the grind but we managed to do that tonight.”
Last also had big raps for captain Paul McShane as well as Bureta Faraimo, who took his two tries exceptionally well.
“Paul’s got a big influence in the way we go about our game, he’s a big influence in the changing rooms and the players all respect him.
“He came up with some important plays and he will be dirty with a few things tonight. He is a harsh critic of himself and he knows there are still things we need to improve but he spoke passionately about playing well and controlling the game.
“Him, Miller and Widdop were really good for us. Joe Westerman was direct, I thought Liam Watts had his best game of the season. I thought Bureta Faraimo was sensational and got our sets going coming out of backfield.
“He put down on his goalsheet to be a player he could rely on and he was that. The couple of opportunities that came to him he took really well, I know he dropped a dolly but he was exceptional.”
