Giants v Tigers: Teams
Stobart Super League leaders Huddersfield are bidding for a fourth straight win when they take on Castleford on Friday.
Last Updated: 16/03/12 1:52pm
Stobart Super League leaders Huddersfield Giants are bidding for a fourth consecutive win when they take on Castleford Tigers on Friday evening.
Seven Giants have been away at a training camp with England and England Knights for most of the week but head coach Nathan Brown does not accept that as an excuse for being unprepared.
"Every club is in the same boat, Castleford have three or four members called up and Leeds have thirteen players involved," Brown told the club official's website.
"It certainly makes training a bit different due to it being a short week, it just limits your preparation but the whole squad will have a run through on Thursday."
The Giants are without outside back Aaron Murphy for six weeks with a fractured knee. Murphy's place in the initial 19-man squad goes to Luke George.
Second rower David Fa'alogo has returned to training after back surgery but is not ready to make his first appearance of the season.
Castleford head coach Ian Millward, back at work after three weeks on compassionate leave following the death of his son Robbie, has made several changes for the trip to the Galpharm Stadium.
Captain Danny Orr is out with an arm injury but centre Joe Arundel has recovered from a shoulder injury, back rower Brett Ferres is back from suspension and close-season signing James Grehan is poised to make his second appearance.
Former skipper Ryan Hudson is recalled and winger James Clare is standing by to make his debut.
Making way are injured winger Josh Griffin and forwards Stuart Jones and Oliver Holmes, who are rested.
The Tigers are looking to snap a five-game losing streak and pick up their first win since the opening day of the season.
Leader
Millward addressed the players and backroom staff on his first day back on Monday and held a press conference at the Probiz Coliseum on Thursday.
"I need to get back to normality," he said. "Also I've got a responsibility here. I need to help lead the club.
"I know what my son would want me to do. I need to start coaching again. I need to do my job now."
He added: "My job is to be a leader. I have to make decisions. I don't want the guys to think I'm going to spend the next three weeks trying to catch up. We need to move forward.
"I've made some changes this week. We need to freshen some things up and challenge everyone.
"I'm not so much concerned about what's happened in the last three weeks. I just want to make sure we're consistent in our actions on what we were doing previously.
"I've got 100 per cent faith in all my staff. You've got to bear in mind we've got a young staff and it's been a big burden on them. I'm taking charge again. It's pretty important that happens."
Huddersfield squad: Grix, Lawrence, Cudjoe, Gilmour, McGillvary, Brown, Brough, Crabtree, Robinson, Faiumu, Lunt, Patrick, Wardle, Chan, Lee, George, Fairbank, Walker, Eden
Castleford squad: Owen, Youngquest, Arundel, Dixon, Chase, Emmitt, Clark, Ferres, Walker, Snitch, Milner, Hudson, Mitchell, Millington, Massey, McGoldrick, Clare, Grehan