Tigers v Rhinos: Teams
Castleford have named an unchanged squad as they attempt to return to winning ways against West Yorkshire rivals Leeds on Friday night.
Last Updated: 13/08/10 7:36pm
Castleford have named an unchanged squad as they attempt to return to winning ways against West Yorkshire rivals Leeds on Friday night.
Tigers welcome the defending engage Super League champions to The Jungle knowing they must win to keep their dwindling play-off hopes alive.
Back-to-back defeats to Crusaders and Hull KR have left Cas in ninth spot, two points adrift of the Welsh club with three fixtures remaining.
Full-back Richard Owen remains sidelined for Friday's clash as he recovers from a broken leg, with centre James Evans and prop Paul Jackson also ruled out.
Rhinos welcome back three players from the side which dramatically overcame St Helens in the Challenge Cup semi-finals last weekend.
Ali Lauitiiti has shrugged off a dead leg while Scott Donald and Ian Kirke are also included in the 19-man party.
However, Rhinos will be without duo prop Ryan Bailey and hooker Danny Buderus after both picked up knocks in the win over Saints.
Head coach Steve McClennan insists the victory over Saints has not distracted the players from the job ahead of them.
"Obviously last Saturday's victory brought with it some added complications with the tickets for Wembley and sorting our families out," he said.
"However we made sure that we got that sorted early in the week and the focus has firmly been on Castleford since then.
"There is no issue with keeping the players' feet on the ground, they know that we have got three massive games remaining in the league and we know that if we win all three that finishing in fourth spot is still in our own hands."
Castleford: Dixon, Shenton, Wainwright, Chase, Sargent, Hudson, Huby, Ferres, Snitch, Westerman, Jones, Higgins, Clayton, Thompson, McGoldrick, Widders, Holmes, Walker, Arundel.
Leeds: Webb, Donald, Delaney, Senior, Hall, McGuire, Burrow, Leuluai, Peacock, Jones-Buchanan, Lauitiiti, Sinfield, Diskin, Eastwood, Kirke, Burgess, McShane, Clarkson, Smith.