Castleford coach Powell delighted with McMeeken and Cook

Castleford coach Daryl Powell was very pleased with the way debutants Matt Cook and Mike McMeeken played last week in the defeat at St Helens.

McMeeken had a tricky debut, having to move from back row to centre, after an injury to Denny Solomona forced Powell to shuffle his three-quarter line.

“Both new boys did well,” Powell told the Pontefract and Castleford Express.

“I thought Matt Cook was really strong. His energy and his carries were really good. I was really pleased with him.

“Mike McMeeken did some good things. He needs to keep to stepping up, but he’s a young player who is growing in confidence and we’ve just got to keep giving him that confidence to go and deliver.

“He was unlucky not to set a try up straight way with a pass that was slightly forward.

“It was not easy for him as he had to play in the centre with Denny Solomona going off and we had to move Michael Channing onto the wing.”