Castleford Tigers hoping week off will help injury woes to ease

The Tigers are able to freshen up for a crucial period coming up in their relegation battle and the two-week gap between matches allows them to get some bodies back after they were down to bare bones for last Friday’s game against Salford Red Devils.

After going into the game without 12 first teamers Cas then lost two of the experienced members of the team they were able to put out with Paul McShane suffering a potentially long term forearm injury and Mahe Fonua having to go off with a head knock.

​Head coach Andy Last is fearing the worst with McShane and it could mean his season may be all but over, which would be a cruel blow on top of having so many other men missing and with the player being so vital for the team.

"It looks like it could be a fracture of his forearm,” explained Last.

"We're hoping it's just a really, really deep dead arm, but he thinks it could be fractured. That could be a difficult one if that news is the worst-case scenario.

"If it's fractured, he's going to miss a fair portion of the season."

On the Tigers’ bad luck with injuries, Last said: "It was a really, really tough week. You have a morale-boosting victory against Leeds at Magic Weekend and then on Monday the injury report comes in and you know you're going to be playing Salford with six of that starting 17 not playing.

"It was always going to be a challenge and then you lose McShane and Mahe Fonua with 60 minutes of the game to go and are down to 15 with one lad making his debut.

“Aaron (Willis) did a good job after coming on and to give him the last 20 minutes of the game will do him the world of good.

"The lads didn't throw the towel in. I know the scoreline blew away but Salford are a slick team and throw some really challenging shapes at you. They exposed a patched-up team."

Last should have several players back for the Tigers’ return to action on Friday, June 23 when they host Warrington Wolves at the Mend-A-Hose Jungle on Friday, June 23, but the pressure has been cranked up with Wakefield Trinity winning their first game last weekend to be just four points behind again.