Oliver Holmes reflects on how pre season has been a major factor in the Tigers’ excellent start to the season

Following a disappointing end to the 2020 season, which saw Daryl Powell’s side miss out on the Super League play-offs finishing in eighth, the Tigers have been one of the inform sides in the new season winning their first three league games.

With victories over Warrington Wolves, Leeds Rhinos and Leigh Centurions and the addition of a golden point victory against Hull Kingston Rovers in the Challenge Cup, the Tigers have had a very solid start to the season.

The off-season saw four new recruits strengthen an already talented side. Suaia Matagi, Lewis Bienek, Jordan Turner and Niall Evalds joined Castleford Tigers. Oliver Holmes gives credit to the new signings.

“The lads who have come in have been great, Jordan [Turner] has added a lot of experience and has helped us a lot utility wise at the minute playing in a couple of different positions already.

“Niall [Evalds] has been electric for us at the back. We struggled to cement someone in the full back position for a while but since he’s come in, he has fitted in really well”.

Ahead of the Wigan Warriors clash last week, Tiger’s manager Daryl Powell announced in his press conference that he has seen confidence throughout the side that he hasn’t seen in a while. Holmes believes the confidence comes from the preseason.

“As a player I can definitely see it in the squad. I think it comes from the preseason we just had. All preseasons feel pretty good, but you don’t know how good they have been until you start playing, but this preseason there was a different feel about it this year.

“There was a lot of confidence within the group knowing we have a good squad and people were in good shape and it has shown with the start to the season we have had”.

The nickname ‘Classy Cas’ has been an accurate description of the side in black and amber so far this season who lead the Super League charts for the most tries. A side that has improved immensely since a run of two wins in nine games ended last season early.

A sign of how far this team has come in such a short space of time is the comeback in the Challenge Cup. Castleford saw themselves trail to Hull KR by 18 points but somehow managed to get themselves back into the game before clinching the win and a place in the quarter-final. A game that Holmes believes would have got away from them last season.

“I think if we would have been in that same situation 18 points behind last year the game would have got away from us.

“It shows that there is a difference about the squad and the feeling and confidence around everybody and the belief throughout the team. Coming out on top of that game was great, it shows how far we have come. It definitely gave us more belief and confidence”.

The Tigers did however suffer their first loss of the season in a close encounter against Wigan Warriors on Thursday night, but the 28-year-old insists the side have addressed the issues and now are looking forward to getting back to winning ways against Salford on Friday night.

“We have addressed some issues from the game against Wigan. I don’t think we played particularly well but the team isn’t in a bad way following the loss its about knuckling down and working hard on the areas of improvement.

“We are expecting a tough game against Salford, it’s something we have trained for this week and we are looking forward to the challenge”.

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