Sky Live: Hull Kingston Rovers vs Castleford Tigers talking points and team news | Rugby League News

Lee Radford has seen signs of encouragement in Castleford’s first two games of 2022

The Lee Radford era at Castleford Tigers may not have got off to the best of starts, but the new head coach has seen enough signs from his team that they are moving in the right direction.

A 26-16 loss in a see-saw contest at home to Salford Red Devils in Round 1 was followed by a 34-10 defeat away to Warrington Wolves last week, although the Tigers had produced a strong defensive display before indiscipline and poor ends of sets were ruthlessly punished by the hosts.

Castleford now head to Hull Kingston Rovers to take on another team aiming to secure their first win of the 2022 season on Friday, live on Sky Sports, and Radford has taken some encouragement from aspects of his side’s displays which he hopes to see more of at Sewell Group Craven Park.

Hull K R vs Castleford Tigers

February 25, 2022, 7:30pm

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“It’s very much performance-based,” Radford said. “We’ve identified some areas we need to be better at.

“Week one, I couldn’t fault their intent and then I thought we really went after Warrington. Their first three sets, the most metres they made on the ground was 26 so defensively that was an outstanding effort, and I really applauded the team’s change of mindset there.

“What we need to fix up was just the little bits and the detail at the end of some of those collisions, and that will really help us and put us a long way towards making that loss a ‘W’ on Friday night.”

The Tigers are without George Lawler, who was handed a one-match penalty notice following the defeat to Warrington but do welcome Nathan Massey back into their 21-man squad for potentially his first appearance of the season.

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Highlights of the Betfred Super League match between Warrington Wolves and Castleford Tigers.

Hull KR are still without full-back Lachlan Coote due to a hamstring injury, although Will Dagger is included despite picking up an injury in last Saturday’s 26-12 defeat away to Huddersfield Giants. Will Maher is also not expected to return before the end of the month.

Like Radford, Robins head coach Tony Smith is not reading too much into two matches out of a 27-round regular season for either his team or their opponents this week and he expects the Tigers to pose other teams plenty of questions as the season goes on.

“They’ve had a difficult start in some respects as well and it hasn’t been plain sailing for them, but that’s understandable,” Smith said.

“They’ve got a new coach, some new players in there and it’s a new year, and I think you’ll see some teams play better as the year goes on in different situations and conditions.

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Highlights of the Betfred Super League game between Huddersfield Giants and Hull KR.

“They’re a big team, they’ve got some really big men and they’re going to be a handful.”

Named squads

Hull Kingston Rovers: Brad Takairangi, Shaun Kenny-Dowall, Ryan Hall, Jordan Abdull, Matt Parcell, George King, Dean Hadley, Kane Linnett, Matty Storton, Jez Litten, Korbin Sims, Elliot Minchella, Will Dagger, Mikey Lewis, Ethan Ryan, Sam Wood, Greg Richards, Tom Garratt, Frankie Halton, Will Tate, Phoenix Laulu-Togaga’e.

Castleford Tigers: Niall Evalds, Derrell Olpherts, Jordan Turner, Bureta Faraimo, Jake Trueman, Liam Watts, Paul McShane, Joe Westerman, Nathan Massey, George Griffin, Mahe Fonua, Tyla Hepi, Alex Sutcliffe, Daniel Smith, Greg Eden, Cheyse Blair, Suaia Matagi, Brad Martin, Sam Hall, Gareth O’Brien, Cain Robb.

St Helens vs Wakefield Trinity (Totally Wicked Stadium, 8pm)

Jack Welsby has been praised by the man he succeeded as St Helens full-back as the reigning champions prepare to host Wakefield Trinity in Friday’s other Super League match.

Lachlan Coote, who joined Hull KR in the off-season after three years with Saints, has seen first-hand the progress the 20-year-old has made after seizing the opportunities given to him in recent seasons.

Welsby has now taken over both Coote’s role and No 1 shirt for the 2022 campaign, having learned more about the game at the top level playing in the halves and three-quarters under Kristian Woolf’s stewardship and the Scotland international has backed him to continue now he can settle into a defined role.

“Jack, in every role he played through the time that I was there, he excelled at whether it was in the middle, on the wing, and I think he’s just got that ability,” Coote told Sky Sports News. “He’s smart, he knows the game well and he’s really turned a leaf in realising how good he can be.

“I think he found that early on in 2020 where he was a bit touch and go, but he’s really embraced how good he can be and backed himself, and I think the coaches have allowed him to do that as well.”

Head coach Woolf has been able to name an unchanged 21-man squad for the third match in a row, with his side having made it two wins from two after overcoming Hull FC 38-6 at MKM Stadium last Saturday.

Wakefield are without influential half-back Mason Lino for the trip to Totally Wicked Stadium along with Liam Hood and Liam Gaskell, but nonetheless head to St Helens buoyed by their performance against another of last year’s Grand Finalists in Catalans Dragons.

Trinity were eventually edged out 24-22 in Perpignan last Saturday as the French side chalked up their first win of the season and head coach Willie Poching was encouraged by what he saw.

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Highlights of the Betfred Super League match between Catalans Dragons and Wakefield Trinity.

“Teams like Catalans and St Helens make you work hard, and to perform like we did on Saturday will give us great confidence,” Poching said.

“There’s a massive element of pride in how we dug ourselves out of a hole but also disappointment that we gave such a quality team a leg-up that they didn’t need.”

Named squads

St Helens: Jack Welsby, Tommy Makinson, Will Hopoate, Mark Percival, Jonny Lomax, Lewis Dodd, Alex Walmsley, James Roby, Matty Lees, Sione Mata’utia, Joe Batchelor, Morgan Knowles, Joey Lussick, Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Curtis Sironen, Agnatius Paasi, Kyle Amor, Jake Wingfield, Josh Simm, Ben Davies, Konrad Hurrell.

Wakefield Trinity: Max Jowitt, Tom Johnstone, Tom Lineham, Jacob Miller, Eddie Battye, Tinirau Arona, Matty Ashurst, Kelepi Tanginoa, Jay Pitts, Jordy Crowther, Jai Whitbread, James Batchelor, Liam Kay, Brad Walker, Yusuf Aydin, Harry Bowes, Lewis Murphy, Isaac Shaw, Corey Hall, Thomas Minns, David Fifita.