
DANNY MCGUIRE has called on his Castleford Tigers players to rise to the challenge of a Challenge Cup Third Round tie away at Bradford Bulls next weekend.
The Super League side will come up against the Championship club on Sunday, with the BBC choosing the clash for their flagship tie at 1pm.
Though some are calling it a potential banana skin for the Tigers, particularly with how Bradford have recruited the likes of former Super League men Waqa Blake, Jayden Okunbor and Franklin Pele, McGuire ‘loves’ the tie.
“I love it. For me, it’s the hardest draw and they’ve got Nobby (Brian Noble) back with Keith Senior so it will be a tricky tie,” McGuire said.
“We’ve not spoke about that game yet with the players but we have chatted as staff and got their video from the last couple of games.
“I went to Odsal last year and that will be the challenge. I don’t think anything has been done on the stadium since 1985 – it’s not looking at its best.
“But these are the challenges where you get to properly understand where your players are at. When they go to these places and still perform.
“The BBC are expecting an upset and that’s why they picked this game.”
Much debate has been centred around whether Super League sides should be coming into the competition in the third round, with concerns about the player welfare of certain amateur clubs such as Wests Warriors who will come up against Leeds Rhinos and West Hull who will take on St Helens.
For McGuire, however, he tries not to think about it too much.
“I just do what I’m told. When the cup fixtures come out I just try not to think too deep about it and control what I can control – and that’s preparing my players to play well.
“The season is a long season and the cup being a round early, I’m not sure.
“I used to like the final being back in May and it’s a bit later this year. The schedule gets put to you but you won’t have a say in it.”