Just back from the game today (superb entertainment) and found myself incredibly optimistic as the game progressed.

Team spirit looks good, we have size in the pack, middle of the park aggression in defence and we appear to have leadership. It was noticeable we have a few talkers, Orr, Hudson, Mathers, Fozzard...the old heads, organising and encouraging. We seem to have an excellent blend of youth and experience this year and we have strength in depth. It is vital that the strength in depth is used positively and players, all players, have to fight for their places. No passengers in the 17.

Now, the weaknesses. Our goal line defence in the second half was weak and not good enough. Again. We took wrong options under pressure, where was that leadership I was so positive about in the first half ? Which leads me onto the point of the thread.

Todays game was a friendly, a full blooded game in which both teams really wanted to win. A look at the subs benches told you that as the game progressed, both sets of subs on their feet encouraging and willing the players on the field on. So, if both teams really wanted to win, why did we lose ?

As of last year, we can match it for 60 minutes, we can find tons of positives yet we constantly find ourselves analysing positives after we have lost. Don't get me wrong, this game wasn't everything and I am not using this to benchmark our upcoming season - the point of discussion is this and simple but so elusive. We have to find a way to win !!

So many games this year will be on a knife edge, just like todays. Forget blaming refs for forward passes, knock ons, missed this, missed that. That's all about feeling sorry for ourselves and looking for something or someone to blame. The team and the management have to find that elusive element that Castleford have lacked for many a year and that is mental strength.

Good teams can overcome bad decisions, good teams can defend sets of 6 on their own line, good teams can win games in the last 5 minutes.

We have invested in youth, we have built a decent squad this year - forget the stadium - that is mainly out of our hands - this year is about winning. Winning breeds confidence and it's vital that we make the first 6 games count. We have to find a way to win !!

What was the score?

20-22 in a tight and entertaing game.

Enjoyed the game and as above,we need to find that killer or killing off instinct from somebody.

Good turn out from the Hull fans too.

Has a captain been named yet? It should be Mathers for sure. He was shouting and encouraging the boys all match.. seems like a leader to me.

I was very happy with Mathers today.
Yes he showed leadership skills and looked pretty solid. The tackle on the Hull attacker when he was over the line was fantastic.

My MOM was Fozzard,the way he was taking the ball up and working in defence were fantastic.

The turning point was obviously the refereeing decisions, however, whoever put Orr/Chase at the short kick-off needs their head testing.

Yeah that made me laugh. Shortest guys on the field? We'll put you where the ball will land.. GOOD DECISION MAKING!

Cheers.

refereeing decisions? you are having a laugh aren't you? you got the vast majority, probably 2-1, maybe 3-1 in your favour!

thought cas started off the stronger, but the longer the game went on fc came back into it, with a decent kicker you would have won, but thankfully for us you didn't, alas its only a friendly, nothing to brag about, but am sure westy had the last laugh after the premature cas chants at him

apparently he is tea total now, he mentioned it at a recent fans forum

If so, I'm happy it's what he needed. Perhaps a change of clubs is what he needed.
Hope he turns into a very good player for you, he's gotta expect a bit of stick from the crowd when he plays us though (all good natured of course).

I said the refereeing decisions were the turning point, not that you got the rub of the green the entire game.

We were undoubtedly on top until Sharp's try which should have been disallowed due to the most blatant forward pass in the in-goal area. Then the decision by Thaler to give you a 'knock-on' when the ball was knocked out of Chase's hands and went backwards was another within the space of ten mins.

So he says but George Best said he stopped drinking...

When did I say that?