RYAN CARR is set to hand a debut to Castleford Tigers forward Jack Ashworth following his move from Hull FC.
Ashworth has missed all of the Tigers’ opening games of the 2026 season due to a suspension incurred whilst playing for the Black and Whites last year.
“He’s been great has Ashy. You almost forgot about him because we knew that ban was there in pre-season and we couldn’t use him until round three,” Carr said.
“He’s been a pleasure to coach and the boys have enjoyed working with him.
“He’s definitely ready to play some footy for us that’s for sure.”
Brock Greacen, however, has dropped out of the 21-man squad.
“He’s not had a setback but we thought it was coming along quicker than it was,” Carr said.
“He was pretty crooked through the week with illness so that put his rehab back as he wasn’t able to train.
“It’s another week added to his recovery which is unfortunate but we are really hopeful he will be ready for the Leeds match.”
Another player that has yet to play in Super League this year is Semi Valemei.
“Semi Valemei, I’m not sure on. I’ve got a date in my mind but I don’t want to pressure it.
“He was out there running on the field which is the first time I’ve seen him out there.
“But we need to make sure when we get him back, we get him back for good.”
Zac Cini will return though.
“Zac Cini has trained all this week so we are hopeful that he’s good to go.
“The soft tissue injuries are always tricky because there’s no timeframe around it.”
Carr has, however, admitted that other players will get a chance in the side following the loss to Toulouse Olympique last weekend.
“People will get an opportunity on the back of that result because the performance wasn’t up to scratch,
“I think we need to target every game. It’s not a case of who we’re playing that should dictate who will win.
“We’ve seen that with York beating Hull KR on the opening night and then KR beating Brisbane.
“Anyone can beat anyone if their attitude is right. We need to get our attitude right.
“It’s about us building trust with each other and building belief with each other for the full 80 minutes.”