CASTLEFORD TIGERS head coach Ryan Carr could name two debutants against Warrington Wolves on Saturday.
Semi Valemei and Aiden Doolan could make their first appearances in a Castleford shirt, with Krystian Mapapalangi unavailable after failing an HIA in last Saturday’s 32-8 defeat to St Helens.
Valemei has been sidelined since January by a hamstring injury while Doolan has played four times on loan at former club Barrow Raiders.
Though Mapapalangi is a big miss, Carr insists that it is a “next man up” mentality at the OneBore Stadium.
“He’s doing okay, we play next Thursday which would be the 12th day and we plan to get him back for then,” Carr said.
“He has played awesome at the start of the year. It is a tough loss for us but it will be the next man up.
“Aidan Doolan has got a chance. We’ve got a few people we need to get a check on so everyone knows they could be called upon at any time.
“Semi Valemei is shaping up to be available for selection. I’m hoping he can be the best version of himself.
“He is an elite athlete. He is a talented player with almost 50 NRL games under his belt. He’s a real competitor with a really strong carry.”
Despite the Tigers winning just one league game in 2026 so far, Carr does believe his side are getting better.
He said: “I feel like we are improving. We are giving ourselves a chance but we’ve got to start taking these chances now.
“That’s the evolution of this group. You have to learn tough lessons at times as a group. If not, you put a band aid over things then it can come back to bite you.
“There will be growing pains, when we get things wrong we have to learn from them.”