Huddersfield Giants face Castleford Tigers tonight in Round Four of Super League and Giants head coach Ian Watson has revealed that The Jungle is one of his favourite stadiums to play at.
Super League has a number of iconic stadiums but few carry the atmosphere that Wheldon Road does with the Castleford fans incredibly vocal when at home.
The short nature of the pitch and the positioning of the stands has been something that the Tigers have adopted as their own, playing to certain strengths and targeting opposition sides with the volume of noise.
Ian Watson takes his Huddersfield side there tonight looking for a second Super League win but he’s explained just how much he loves that ‘old-school’ style of ground.
Speaking to BBC West Yorkshire and asked about the notorious atmosphere, Watson said: “Castleford Tigers have been like that for years, they play that pitch pretty well, they know the layout of it and the crowd right on top of you there.
“I love it going to Castleford, I think it’s a proper old school kind of game and it’s kind of the tough ones where you’ve got to roll your sleeves up and do kind of the dirty work first to be fair.”
Despite the Tigers being winless from their first three games in Super League and suffering a major injury crisis, Watson is well aware that the Giants are in for a tough night
“I think it’s a great place to go and play Castleford and it always has been but you always know that you’re going to be in for a game there,” he concluded.
During his presser, the Giants coach also revealed that he could be set to loan out one of the club’s 2023 signings to get them game time, something that might be of interest to an injury-struck side such as Castleford.
Super League fans far more intense than in the NRL reveals star ahead of Castleford Tigers clash
One man who will be playing a competitive game at The Jungle for the first time is Adam Clune with Huddersfield’s new half-back just three games into his Super League career.
So far Clune has been the constant in the Huddersfield spine alongside Olly Russell with both Tui Lolohea and Jake Connor alternating on account of bans and injury.
His kicking game will have to be spot on to account for the shorter pitch at Wheldon Road but he did explain that he played there in the pre-season, however, he’s expecting a far more intense atmosphere.
“I played against Cas in the trial so that was an initiation,” Clune explained, adding: “What we’ve seen from Cas and speaking of the guys around here about what to expect from them is that they’re gritty.
“They’ve been completing really high and that’s one thing that we’ve struggled with and we’ve probably suffered because of that completion rate. So that’s one thing we’ve got to get right this weekend.”
Specifically on the crowds, the former Newcastle Knight explained how different it is from Australia where he has spent all of his career prior to this Super League switch.
“For sure. It’s different,” Clune noted.
“Obviously, I think just the crowds are a bit more on top of you here. Sometimes there’s more of that local feel, which is really exciting.
“Whether it’s a small crowd or a big crowd, it still feels just as loud and they’re really vocal. You don’t really get the chanting in Australia, which makes for a really good atmosphere. So I’ve enjoyed that side of it.
“Obviously, it’s much more enjoyable when you’re winning. So yeah, it’s a great feeling. I’ve really enjoyed getting around to different stadiums, whether at home or away. It’s been a really good atmosphere and a new experience for me, but I’ve really been enjoying it.”
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