York Knights head into Saturday’s meeting with Castleford Tigers looking for a response after falling 40-16 to St Helens in the Betfred Super League, and Mark Applegarth believes the chance to put that right is right in front of them. Both sides are on six points this campaign, with York only above Castleford on points difference, so the game at York carries real weight for both clubs.
Applegarth said Castleford will be “reeling” after a run of heavy defeats and described the match as a possible chance for York to get back to winning ways. He said the Tigers will view the game as a must-win and that Ryan Carr and his players will be focusing on the areas that need tightening up after a difficult stretch that has seen them ship 50 points to both Hull KR and Hull FC.
The York coach said Castleford have also taken heavy losses to Wakefield Trinity, Warrington Wolves and Leeds Rhinos, a sequence that has left them under pressure as they try to steady their season. He said they have been “going through a bit of a rebuild themselves” and have had “some bad luck with injuries,” adding that Liam Hood is out and that Joe Westerman has been dealing with a head injury issue. Applegarth also singled out Renouf Atoni as a strong prop and said he had coached some of Castleford’s players before.
One player York will have to watch closely is Krystian Mapapalangi, who has scored six tries in his last 11 outings. Applegarth said he is the kind of player any team wants in the competition and warned against loading too much attention on one threat while leaving space elsewhere on the field. “We’ll definitely have eyes on him, he’s a great player and a massive player for them,” he said, while also stressing that Castleford carry threats throughout the team.
He added that the club’s situation should not be judged only through the lens of recent results. “Castleford is a very proud rugby league town, I’ve grown up knowing a lot about Cas,” Applegarth said, describing their heritage as rich and saying he holds a lot of respect for the club. That respect, though, does not change the demands of Saturday’s fixture, with York needing a sharper, cleaner performance after the loss to St Helens and Castleford desperate for a result to stop the slide.
The contest now looks like a direct test of which side can handle the pressure better. York have the home advantage and the chance to reset; Castleford arrive carrying a bruising run of results and the knowledge that another defeat would deepen the concern around their season.
