Castleford Tigers boss praises team performance after Hull FC victory and looks ahead to tough June schedule

Castleford Tigers boss Danny McGuire was full of praise for his side as they snagged their fourth win in Super League with an away victory at Hull FC on Friday night.

The Tigers were 22-6 ahead going into the final five minutes before a Lewis Martin double for the home side reduced the deficit to 22-14.

However, McGuire is concentrating more on picking up points in any way possible right now as his team look to start climbing the Super League ladder.

Speaking to the press after the victory, the Castleford Tigers coach said: “I thought it was a really spirited, detailed performance. I thought we did some really good things, both offensively and defensively.

“There was a lot of commitment, a few mistakes in there from both teams, but we handled the atmosphere. It’s always a tough game to come and play here, so I just thought that we did everything right.

“I could sense it, it’s been building. Our preparation and practice have been really good, so I was confident that we were going to play well today, and the players did the talking out on the field. As a coach, it’s all you can ask for.”

Castleford Tigers coach talks tough June schedule and underrated star of his side

The Tigers face two tough tests next, hosting Hull KR and Wigan Warriors at home, but McGuire is looking forward to the challenge.

He added: “I think we were in total control of the game, and a couple of tries at the end where Hull are chancing their arm a little bit, and made the scoreline a bit closer than the actual game was.

“Ultimately, for us at the minute, it’s about performance, winning and getting some confidence. We’ve got a tough block, two tough games coming up next against probably the best two teams in the competition, so that’ll be a really good challenge for us. I think we’re in a good place to attack it.”

The Castleford Tigers boss shared that it was a team performance across the board that he was most proud of, but wanted to shine the spotlight on one of his off-season recruits, Zac Cini.

Usually playing in the centres, he started the match at fullback, in the absence of Tex Hoy.

McGuire finished: “He’s been really good for us all year. He’s flown under the radar.

“We’ve given him a bit of time to settle in and adjust to the country, and it was a shock to the system at the start, he’d admit that.

“He’s played tough through a few knocks and bruises, and I’m really happy with what he’s contributing to the team. He’s shown he can comfortably play fullback.”