Live on
Salford vs Castleford
Super League
7:45pm Thursday 26th September
AJ Bell Stadium
We have a look at the big problems, hear from the camps and possess the team news ahead of the play-off clash between Salford Red Devils and Castleford Tigers in the AJ Bell Stadium…
It’s a frightening potential for competitions to look at the potential Jackson Hastings could produce screens but that is exactly what the self-appraisal of the Salford talisman is.
Hastings’ first full time in the AJ Bell Stadium has seen him eventually become the favourite to assert the Man of Steel award of Super League too and win the Rugby League Writers and Broadcasters Association’s player of the year accolade.
Even Daryl Powell, head coach of Thursday’s competitions, went on record as calling him”the best player in the comp”. The man himself believes there are areas of the game he needs to increase in.
“There’s been moments this year where I’ve been really proud of what I have been able to accomplish on the area and there were moments where I’d wanted to have done more,” Hastings said.
“My game is nowhere near flawless. There’s a few little things which I need to fix .”
In addition to being thankful for helping him rebuild his career after leaving NRL side Manly Sea Eagles under a cloud mid-season in 2018 to Salford, Hastings is grateful for his mother Megan’s help and advice.
Even the 23-year-old half-back is hoping she will be able to fly over to watch the climax of the Super League season and his time even though he expects it moves when she last on these shores showed her service.
“She came over last year to see me play and I have red-carded the first game,” Hastings recalled.
“She’s seen me play once in two years live which is actually uncommon for our loved ones, but I’ve got two little sisters who need care for at home.
“Mum’s obviously disappointed that she can’t watch all the time, but she gets upgraded by the fans. They blow her phone up, she wakes up about 200 messages.”
There was little surprise when Castleford reached the Super League Grand Final having finished top of the table also maintained the League Leaders’ Shield at the end of this Super Eights with a margin of 10 points.
However, after edging past St Helens from the semi-finals and playing a scintillating, Daryl Powell’s side came up short against Leeds Rhinos at Old Trafford in a 24-6 defeat that was humbling.
Fast forward two years and the Tigers are in the after slipping into the top five to points difference on the last night of the regular season yet this time very few men and women are talking about these.
At least couple of people were before Thursday, when Castleford created by rapping out Challenge Cup champions Warrington Wolves in the first elimination game with a 14-12 win at the Halliwell Jones Stadium the remainder of Super League sit up and take note.
The Yorkshire representative in this season’s play-offs will have to journey across the Pennines again this week to face Salford in a second elimination match and might have to again to get a location at Old Trafford should they get through Thursday’s match.
Oliver Holmes, who played in that final two decades isn’t fazed by that prospect however and agreed with Powell’s assessment that doing it the hard way in 2019 has benefitted Castleford in those knock-out matches.
“Travelling over the Pennines into Lancashire isn’t always pleasant – obviously, as you’re going to Lancashire,” Holmes joked. “But I think we have dealt with it pretty well and we are going to have to deal with it well again on Thursday.
“Like Powelly has said, we’re in better shape now looking forward to this play-offs than we had been in 2017 – and now I believe he is right.
“We’ve had to take care of a great deal more, we are far more hardened and there’s far more steel in us than back then, so I guess it is going to stand us in good stead.”
It is honours between Salford and Castleford far in 2019, with the teams winning one game apiece through the Super League regular period.
Tries out of Nathan Massey, Jordan Rankin – who kicked four goals – Jesse Sene-Lefao and Greg Eden demonstrated to take a victory against the Red Devils in the Mend-A-Hose Jungle in March.
Salford got back one on Castleford in June, but with that man Hastings helping inspire the hosts to victory and setting up in the 26-16 victory.
Lee Mossop niall Evalds and Derrell Olpherts spanned to the Red Devils as well, together with Krisnan Inu kicking six goals to put the seal to the win.
The victors on Thursday evening will 1 step away from a place at the Grand Final, go to face the loser of Friday’s showdown between St Helens and Wigan Warriors at the final the next week.
Salford head coach Ian Watson has stuck using the same squad as last week’s qualifying match off to Wigan, which saw despite having an defeat them put.
Tigers head coach Daryl Powell has made two modifications to his squad in the removal play-off out of the triumph over Warrington.
Greg Eden and Nathan Massey are coming back in emptiness, although Calum Turner and mike McMeeken are ruled out because of trauma.
Salford Red Devils 19-man squad: Niall Evalds, Kris Welham, Jake Bibby, Lee Mossop, Adam Wood, Gil Dudson, Josh Jones, George Griffin, Mark Flanagan, Joey Lussick, Adam Walker, Greg Burke, Tyrone McCarthy, Logan Tomkins, Ken Sio, Krisnan Inu, Ryan Lannon, Tui Lolohea, Jackson Hastings
Castleford Tigers 19-man squad: Cheyse Blair, James Clare, Chris Clarkson, Matt Cook, Greg Eden, Jamie Ellis, Oliver Holmes, Will Maher, Nathan Massey, Peter Mata’utia, Paul McShane, Grant Millington, Adam Milner, Greg Minikin, Jacques O’Neill, Jordan Rankin, Daniel Smith, Jake Trueman, Liam Watts
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