Castleford boss Daryl Powell calls for calm after Leeds thrashing
Castleford coach Daryl Powell called for calm after his side suffered a 60-6 home derby defeat by Leeds.
The Tigers made a flying start with Jordan Turner’s second-minute try but then conceded 60 unanswered points and home fans among the 4,000 crowd had begun heading for the exits, disgusted by the woeful efforts of their team.
REPORT: Castleford 6-60 Leeds: Luke Gale inspires Rhinos to huge win
Castleford began the season with three straight wins but will go into next Saturday’s Challenge Cup semi-final against Warrington on the back of three successive defeats.
“It was tough to watch,” Powell said. “I’m a proud man and I’ve always been a winner and that was so disappointing, it’s hard to put into words.
“The one thing I would say is that in 2017 we played Leeds here and beat them 66-10 and lost to them in the Grand Final. Brian McDermott mentioned it at the time.
“It’s a terrible loss but it’s not the end of the world and one thing we have got is an opportunity next week to put that straight.
“It’s a great opportunity against a team bang in form – nobody is going to give us a chance. We’ve got to turn it around pretty quickly and get ready for a huge game.
“So there’s a couple of parallels there and it’s a great reason why we have to remain calm and focus on what we do from here on in.
“Players have to get their heads in the right place and be able to trust each other that we can do the job.
“I know people are getting hot under collar and frustrated but they can’t be more frustrated than me. It’s massively disappointing that we get the fans back in and we haven’t performed.
“But win a game next week and everybody is smiling again.”
Powell is hoping to have Michael Shenton, Niall Evalds, Jake Trueman, Nathan Massey, Oliver Holmes and Adam Milner back for the semi-final against the Wolves.
Subscribe to The Final Hooter on Apple Podcasts and get involved with the free-to-play Fantasy Rugby League 2021.
Rugby League Nostalgia is here! Get involved with Love Rugby League’s new group on Facebook to share all your rugby league nostalgia and celebrate the rich heritage of our sport.