FULL-BACK TO BASICS
After sacking Zak, Powell is searching for solution to selection issues with Eden and Roberts in the frame
Castleford v Hull FC Super League, 3.15pm CASTLEFORD coach Daryl Powell hopes a week off can help him solve his full-back conundrum.
Powell is still looking for a permanent replacement for Zak Hardaker, who was suspended and then sacked after failing a drugs test in the build-up to last year’s Grand Final.
He handed the No.1 shirt to Samoa international Ben Roberts, who had a difficult opening night in a heavy defeat at St Helens.
Powell considered switching to last year’s Super League top try scorer Greg Eden for the home game with Widnes, but an injury gave Roberts (right) a second chance, which he took with an improved performance.
With Eden now fit, both players have trained at full-back this week as Powell looks to find a formula to repeat last year’s League Leaders triumph. The Tigers coach said: “One of the key players in rugby league and the way it’s played now is your full-back. “Benny’s come back late from the World Cup and we’ve been working hard with him. “Whether it’s him or Greg Eden that plays full-back this week we’ll wait and see but it’s given us the chance to work on developing our combinations. “You hear people talk about combinations all the time and it’s massively important – there are split seconds between getting it right and getting it wrong. “We haven’t quite nailed our attacking play – we’ve hardly scored any points so it’s clearly an area we need to improve on. We’re working hard and hopefully we’ll see the fruits of that in a tough game this week.”
Castleford face a Hull FC side that this time last week were playing St George-Illawarra in Sydney.
But Powell insists he is not reading anything into their considerable travel schedule.
He added: “I just don’t see it as an issue at all, it’s just about us and we have to play well. Hull were outstanding in their last game and that’s how we’re preparing for it.
“They’re a team that’s got a lot going for it.
“Albert Kelly is playing exceptional rugby league and I was really impressed by all their young players, they acquitted themselves superbly playing against an NRL team. “
In today’s other game, Wakefield coach Chris Chester believes it is the perfect time to play under-fire Catalans Dragons.
The French side have slumped to three straight defeats under Steve McNamara to heap pressure on their under-achieving squad.