Cas to experiment in Bradford clash

Castleford Tigers will have a mix of his senior players and some promising youngsters in action for the Boxing Day Challenge clash with the Bradford Bulls (the Jungle KO 12 noon) with new signing Steve Snitch making his Castleford debut.

Coach Terry Matterson won’t take chances with those players who have had minor ops in the close season, but he will field all of those players who are fit and available. He does though expect those players who miss out to be ready fro the ‘big kick off’ come February.

Ryan McGoldrick will definitely miss out as he has to serve a suspension carried over from the 2009 season and Michael Shenton is ‘excused duty’ after playing through to November in the ‘Four Nations’ competition. Prop forward Mitch Sargent is still at home in Australia after being given additional time away following the recent birth of his and his partner’s first baby.

The absentees will allow for some of the clubs highly promising young players to stake a claim in the company of and against Super League players and Terry has indicated that this will be an excellent opportunity to check them out at a higher level. These include Richard Lopag and Ed Barber who have joined the club from the Huddersfield Giants, Ed having spent part of the 2009 season on loan. Of those other players who aren’t in the Tigers 2010 senior squad, all are highly promising young players who have emerged through the clubs Academy, Ryan Brierley being the talented half back who we recruited from the Chorley area.

The 21-man squad is:

Jordan Thompson, Richard Lopag, James Evans, Joe Arundel, Michael Wainwright, Dean Widders, Rangi Chase, Liam Higgins, Kirk Netherton, Nathan Massey, Craig Huby, Steve Snitch, Ryan Clayton, Jonathan Walker, Oliver Holmes, John Davies, Ed Barber, Matt Dawson, Adam Milner, Darryl Clark & Ryan Brierley.