Castleford stars look to chop champions Wigan down after axe throwing days

CRAIG Lingard hopes Castleford can chop the Super League champions’ bid to become world kings down – with the help of axe throwing.

Wigan’s title defence starts this evening with a trip to the Tigers before facing NRL premiers Penrith Panthers in next Saturday’s World Club Challenge.

Castleford hope to down Super League champions Wigan after a pre-season that saw well-performing players treated to things like axe throwing.

While much is expected from the Warriors, who arguably look even better than last year, expectations are low in West Yorkshire as, frankly, they could not look much worse.

But boss Lingard – assistant last year while also coaching Championship side Batley – has revealed rewarding players with axe throwing sessions can work after last season under Lee Radford, Andy Last then Danny Ward was well off before a ball was even kicked.

He said: “Axe throwing helped develop the connections. When you do that, you know if people are being genuine!

“I’ve been massive on getting the players to spend time in each other’s company, as well as being close on the field, we’ve got to be close off it.

“We split the squad into four groups – changing them every week – so everything was a competition. If one did well, it got points and at the end of a week, the winning team did something together as a group.

“We’d change them over, forcing people to spend time in different people’ s company rather than seeing cliques develop.

“The club also put on ice hockey, coffee days, spa days, food – it’s really bought into what we wanted to do and paid for the activity.

“I can see the difference in the squad we’ve got this year to the one we had last year and adding that competition has pushed the players further.

“Small-sided games, in the gym, fitness tests, wrestling. There were always points scored and it’s made standards better.

“There’s loads of togetherness and connectivity. That was massively lacking. I hate the word culture and no-one sets out to say, ‘We want a really bad culture at this club.’

Boss Craig Lingard brought in competition in pre-season training to get more out of his playersSWPIX.COM

“Sometimes little things happen and before you know it, you’re a massive distance from where you wanted to be. That’s what happened at Castleford.

“One of the most difficult parts was going from an environment at Batley, where everyone enjoyed being at, to coming to Castleford on the same day and it was a completely different atmosphere.”

On the pitch, Castleford want to improve massively. Off it, they have to as IMG’s grading scheme comes into full effect this year.

A ground redevelopment is in the planning process and Lingard knows just from driving to work how big his job is.

Cas are looking to get over a poor 2023 campaignSWPIX.COM

He added: “I love it, I’m massive on the history and heritage of rugby league. I’ve mentioned to today’s players about ones who’ve come before them and how we’ve got to create the next generation of players.

“We’ve got to create heroes. I knew Castleford was passionate about rugby league but when you drive through the town, every other person’s wearing an item of clothing on about the club.

“They go hand in hand and we’ve got to embrace that.

“You can’t ignore the off-field things, even though they’re in the background. Hopefully the planning permission is approved and temporary improvements can be brought in to get more IMG points.”