Wednesday 8 March 2017 17:04, UK
30: That's about how old you need to be to have any memories of seeing Castleford win a cup.
It was on Saturday, January 22, 1994. I should know; I was a spectator, stood on the pitch as Castleford ran in five tries to beat Wigan 33-2 in the Regal Trophy final.
Well, after the way they've started this season, there might be a new generation of fans who see the Tigers lift some silverware.
I'm the first to admit that three great wins doesn't make you the champions, but the manner in which they destroyed the Rhinos last week had "contenders" written all over it.
If the Betfred Super League was a TV talent show, it would move from the possibles to probables category for the rest of the competition.
It takes a different mindset to continually win when you're always the favourites, something Castleford might need to learn this year.
I don't know how much the Super League spends on advertising but it strikes me that a large percentage of it should go straight to Daryl Powell. In an age when some teams simply aim to complete their set, gain some ground and then kick and hope to score, the Tigers are a revelation.
They've given the Super League a smile to start the season and I hope that the rest attempt to copy them. Successful sides are usually imitated.
There are several teams in this country still following the style of play that Michael Maguire introduced at Wigan back in 2010. Hopefully we see more now attempting to adopt the attacking format seen at Castleford.
On average, the Tigers have scored a try about every 10 minutes of play in 2017, but more than that, it's the style, creativity, skill and speed of their tries that have excited not just rugby league fans, but the general sports viewer who follows several team sports.
I'm sure that the lifelong Castleford fans can see some similarities to the team in 1994.
Andy Lynch wears the shirt and provides the experience that Lee Crooks did 23 years ago. Greg Minikin scores the tries that St John used to do on the right wing.
Tawera Nikan was the skilful backrower that both Moors and Sene-Lefao now imitate. They had a creative scrum-half in Mike Ford who must now watch in admiration as he sees Luke Gale in the No 7 shirt.
Back then, Cas had a local legend coach the side. John Joyner, like Daryl Powell, had spent most of his career as a stand-off and found a perfect balance of attack and defence. For a short but golden moment, everything came together for Classy Cas.
Can they recreate that perfect storm in 2017? It's amazing to think that they managed to embarrass Leeds without either Ben Roberts or Rangi Chase. Add to that the fact Oliver Holmes hasn't played a game for them this season and it's possible that they might even have more in them.
Different mindset
One of the things Castleford struggled with last season was their ability to get up for the games against teams who haven't won trophies or finished inside the top four in recent years. They lost to Widnes, Catalan, Hull KR and Salford twice and also dropped a point with a draw at Hull KR.
It takes a different mindset to continually win when you're always the favourites, something that they might need to learn this year.
Their other aim for 2017 was to make themselves harder to score against. After watching them in a pre-season game at St Helens and then three more matches since, I'd say that there has been significant improvement in that area.
I joked with Brian Carney last week that nobody knows who was top of the Super League at this time last season. So I went back to look. Can you guess?
It was Widnes. They would have finished eighth had Salford not had points deducted.
It is early days but the Tigers are trying to remind everyone how the game should be played and I love it.
Quick taps
Open letter to all referees:
Can anyone tell me why it's fine for a player to take a quick tap 20-metre restart if he is the one to collect the ball over the dead-ball line and race to the centre of the 20m line, even if both touch judges have not yet sprinted back in place? Or the referee is only just on the 20m line himself? But it's not okay for players to take a quick tap penalty when the referee blows his whistle for, say, an offside penalty?
It used to be an exciting part of the game for spectators when a quick-thinking player would rush to the referee and tap the ball to set off.
I've lost count of the number of times when the referee prevents this and slows down the player. He implies that the attack-minded player in possession can't do this and intentionally stalls the game.
Similarly, how do we explain that a quick tap after a 40/20 is not possible, if we allow it for a 20m restart? Why is one frenetic restart any different to another?
Yours in anticipation,
Frustrated Fan
