Matt Peet has warned Wigan cannot let up after lifting the Challenge Cup
We look at what is being said and team news ahead of Saturday’s matches in the Betfred Super League…
Castleford Tigers vs Wigan Warriors (2pm)
The first piece of silverware on offer in 2022 is already in the bag for Wigan, but head coach Matt Peet wants last Saturday’s Betfred Challenge Cup success to be the start of the journey rather than the final destination.
A 16-14 victory over Huddersfield Giants at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium saw the Warriors lift the trophy for the 20th time and gave Peet a maiden trophy just four months into his first season at the helm.
They now return to action away to Castleford Tigers in Super League, where they have lost their last two matches, on Saturday afternoon and Wigan’s rookie head coach has warned they cannot afford to congratulate themselves too much in the wake of that cup triumph.
“I think it’s a positive marker for us and reinforces to the players what we’re doing is a good path to sustained success,” Peet said.
“You’ve never finished; we celebrate the win, but culture is live, and we need to keep on top of it, the relationships between the group.
“If we invest in this period and learn the lessons from it, it can take us to another level as a group and a team. But if we fall in love with ourselves, it could be the full stop in the story.”
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Highlights from Wigan Warriors’ defeat to Hull FC in their most recent Betfred Super League match.
Wigan are without back row Morgan Smithies after he picked up a four-match ban following the cup final but have influential hooker Sam Powell available again after completing a six-match suspension. Tommy Leuluai drops out of the squad too after making a surprise appearance in the final.
Castleford, who have Bureta Faraimo and Liam Watts available again, are aiming to make it six straight wins at the Mend-A-Hose Jungle.
Even though the Tigers were beaten 30-14 away to Salford Red Devils last time out, that home run has helped lift them into Super League’s play-off places and forward Nathan Massey believes Cas are well placed heading into the second half of the season.
“We’re in the six – probably not where we wanted to be, a little bit further up the table, but we’re in there and we’ve got something to have a shot at in the second half of the season,” Massey said.
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Highlights of the Betfred Super League match between Salford Red Devils and Castleford Tigers.
“We just need to stick to a gameplan. We’re causing teams trouble with the ball when we’re sticking to the plan, but we venture away from it with poor errors and poor discipline, and on the back of that we’re conceding too many points.”
Named squads
Castleford Tigers: Derrell Olpherts, Bureta Faraimo, Jake Trueman, Danny Richardson, Liam Watts, Paul McShane, George Lawler, Kenny Edwards, Adam Milner, Joe Westerman, Nathan Massey, George Griffin, Mahe Fonua, Daniel Smith, Greg Eden, Cheyse Blair, Suaia Matagi, Ryan Hampshire, Brad Martin, Gareth O’Brien, Jason Qareqare.
Wigan Warriors: Bevan French, Jake Bibby, Iain Thornley, Liam Marshall, Brad Singleton, Sam Powell, Patrick Mago, Willie Isa, Liam Farrell, John Bateman, Kaide Ellis, Harry Smith, Oliver Partington, Ethan Havard, Liam Byrne, Joe Shorrocks, Jai Field, Abbas Miski, Sam Halsall, Brad O’Neill, Matty Nicholson.
Toulouse Olympique vs St Helens (5pm BST)
Of the two wins Toulouse have secured in their maiden Super League season, one of those has come against reigning champions St Helens when the French newcomers 22-20 at home back in March.
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Highlights of what happened last time Toulouse Olympique and St Helens met in the Betfred Super League.
Saints return to Stade Ernest Wallon on Saturday aiming to avoid the same fate, and are boosted by the return of exciting winger Regan Grace and three-quarter Will Hopoate from long spells out injured.
Last week’s break from Super League action due to the Challenge Cup final has allowed the pair some extra rest and head coach Kristian Woolf is optimistic that will ensure they are both well-placed to make an impact on their respective returns.
“Will has been training really well for more than three weeks now and moving really well and Regan Grace has been the same,” Woolf said.
“We have been quite cautious and taken a bit of extra time with both of those blokes to make sure we don’t end up in a predicament again.
“We are really confident that they are not just going to be able play this week but be in a position where they will play well and confidently too.”
Toulouse are aiming to kick on from failing to follow up a win over fellow strugglers Wakefield Trinity after being edged out 17-16 by Cup finalists Huddersfield two weeks ago.
Former St Helens back row Andrew Dixon believes the team are making progress though, and are boosted by the return of two more ex-Saints in Joseph Paulo and Dom Peyroux for this match.
“We played well, especially in our last two games against Wakefield, unfortunately we lost against Huddersfield,” Dixon said.
“But we have been working hard to develop our game and our identity on the pitch for several weeks. We know it will be a great game and we are ready.”
Named squads
Toulouse Olympique: Latrell Schaumkel, Mathieu Jussaume, Corey Norman, Lucas Albert, Romain Navarrete, Harrison Hansen, Andrew Dixon, Dominique Peyroux, Anthony Marion, Eloi Pelissier, Maxime Puech, Joseph Paulo, James Cunningham, Ilias Bergal, Chris Hankinson, Justin Sangare, Matty Russell, Olly Ashall, Maxime Stefani, Tony Gigot, Daniel Alvaro.
St Helens: Jack Welsby, Tommy Makinson, Will Hopoate, Regan Grace, Jonny Lomax, Alex Walmsley, James Roby, Matty Lees, Sione Mata’utia, Joe Batchelor, Morgan Knowles, Joey Lussick, Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Curtin Sironen, Agnatius Paasi, Jake Wingfield, James Bell, Ben Davies, Konrad Hurrell, Dan Norman, Jon Bennison.