Wigan Warriors forward Kaide Ellis is expecting a hostile atmosphere on Sunday afternoon, as his side travel to Castleford Tigers.
The Warriors will culminate the opening round of fixtures, as they make the trip across the M62, and judging by previous games, the game could be a lot closer than people expect.
The past two times that Wigan have travelled to Castleford, they have won by six points or less on both occasions. In 2025, they were a controversial referee call away from losing the game, and in 2024, they scraped through to earn a 10-8 victory.
Ellis featured in both of those matches, so knows first-hand how intimidating of a place it is to play at.
Speaking to WiganTV ahead of the contest, the loose forward gave his initial thoughts on getting the Super League season underway, and how they can’t afford to take the Tigers for granted.
He said: “It will be tough. It’s never an easy place to go.”
“I think we went there at the start of 2024, before we played Penrith, and it’s tough – no matter who you play in round one.”
“They [Castleford] get up for it, playing at home and they pride themselves on that.
“I expect a better Cas from what you’ve seen in the previous years. The new coach they’ve got seems to have done a lot of work with them, and they’ve signed a lot of good recruits.
“They will make it a tough game. It’s never easy, but we’re going in confident. We’ve worked hard. No matter who we play, we believe we can win.
“It’s never an easy place to go, but we believe we can get the job done.”
Wigan Warriors star previews Castleford Tigers clash
As with many of the round one fixtures this week, the crowd for Wigan’s fixture is looking healthy, and that increased support will go a long way in spurring each side on for victory.
Whilst no official figures have been released, the first game under the Ryan Carr era should see fans come out in full force, whilst for Wigan, a first chance to see their side in Super League action is more than enough motivation to travel across.
The Warriors have had excellent support in their previous two games, against Hull FC and Rochdale Hornets, and Ellis hopes that that trend continues this weekend.
Commenting on what effect the fans have on the side, the former NRL man said: “[They’re]Â massive. We definitely don’t take it for granted, whether we’re at home or away.
“They’re passionate fans. They ride the rollercoaster with us and without them, you often don’t realise how much they can give you energy.
“The way they get into the game, ride the emotion of the game, we’re definitely thankful, and the more [fans] the better.”
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