Castleford Tigers hooker Daryl Clark insists the team will have to be on their guard this evening, as they take on a Warrington Wolves side still reeling from their semi-final loss to Leeds last weekend.
The Wolves – unlike the Tigers – will not be at Wembley for the Challenge Cup Final next Saturday, after losing out to the Rhinos at Langtree Park last Saturday. And Clark – who has been rested for the game this evening -is adamant his teammates will be able to forget about Wembley for 80 minutes on Friday night, and deliver a performance that keeps their top eight hopes alive.
“We tried to put it to the back of our minds when we were building up towards the semi-final, and that’s what we’ve got to do this week. They’ll be disappointed for losing in the semi-final, and knowing they’re not going to have a trip to Wembley,” Clark told TotalRL.
“They’ll be looking to bounce back and I’m sure they’ll come out strong. But we’re going to go there full of confidence and keep our good league form going. There’s not many trophies you can win in a season and they’re going to be upset about not winning the Challenge Cup. They’ll be putting all their eggs in one basket and we have to be very aware of that.”
And whilst Clark admitted that a win would do wonders for confidence heading into the final, he refused to get carried away about form heading into a major event such as the Challenge Cup Final, saying: “It’ll help if you’re going into the final with a bit of confidence and a few wins, but all league form goes out of the window for a big game like Wembley.”
