As Castleford’s longest serving player, Nathan Massey has been able to appreciate the club’s recent success more than most after several turbulent years.
Now in his 11th season with the club, the 28-year-old finally enjoyed the taste of silverware last week as the Tigers secured the League Leaders’ Shield.
But with their latest success fresh in the memory, the loose-forward insists the Tigers are hunting for more gold before the end of the year.
“The first part of the job has come to fruition now,” he said.
“But that’s only one part of the job done, we’ve got a home semi-final to look forward to and the rest of the Super 8s.
“I’ve been here during some tough times, but we’re reaping the rewards of three or four years of hard work.
“You always dream of it, like I said, we had some hard times here. But since Daryl came in he’s changed the ethos of the club and we’ve been building towards it ever since. Now we have to take the next step too.”
The Tigers have enjoyed a week off due to a blank set of fixtures due to the Challenge Cup Final.
Big thanks to @Mantra_Thai in #Newcastle for a great meal last night and for looking after our boys so well 🍴🍜👌🏻 pic.twitter.com/EXs8ZfhR5X
— Castleford Tigers (@CTRLFC) August 24, 2017
Although their lack of involvement in the Wembley showpiece remains a disappointment, Massey believes it could aid their Grand Final aspirations.
“You could say it’s disappointing to be out of the Challenge Cup but you could also say it’s a blessing in disguise,” he said.
“We have a week off to regroup, assess what we’ve achieved already, but realise there’s plenty more to do yet.”
