Ryan Carr’s Castleford Tigers suffered an opening round defeat to Wigan Warriors, but the new boss was pleased with some aspects of his side’s game.
Carr is one Super League game into a three-year deal, and tested the former Champions for the majority of the game. However, two key moments of the match were what let the club down, and they came either side of the half-time hooter.
Speaking post-match, the boss gave his overall verdict, and was on-the-whole pleased with the effort his side gave, but knows where they need to improve ahead of a trip to Toulouse next week.
“We made it too hard on ourselves,” said Carr. “I think if we got some of the moments right, and didn’t make the game of footy as hard on ourselves, I feel like the scoreboard would have been much closer in the last 20 of the game, which is what we were trying to target.
“We’re playing against good opposition in Wigan, they’ve been together for a long, long time. They’re well drilled. They know what they’re doing.
“We knew we were in for a fight, but we were definitely up for it. We just didn’t manage the game well enough at certain times.”
Commenting on those moments in particular, he explained: “Either side of half-time, that was probably where I was most disappointed.
“We defended our try-line for long, long periods. They had 53 play the balls in our 20 which is a huge number. To know that we can turn teams away from there is something you need to do and that builds belief.
Castleford, after going into the break only 10-6 down, conceded within the opening minute of the second stanza, after Jai Field broke free, before later in the set Zach Eckersley converted in the right corner.
The away side added two more tries in quick succession, and it was then that the game fell out of the Tigers’ grasp.
However, they failed to give in, and gave 100% until the very end, something that Tigers sides of yesteryear can’t say they have done.
Carr was pleased with his side’s resilience, but reaffirmed how that needs to be the standard every week, not just for one game.
Late tries from Mikaele Ravalawa and George Lawler made the scoreline a fairer reflection of the tie, but it would not be enough to complete a comeback, and they fell to a 26-16 defeat.
“It’s not okay to give that [effort] just once, and then just turn the switch off,” said Carr.
“We’ve got to continue to be that same passionate, tough, reslient team that we were today and then we’ve got to get what control right.”
