Watts: “We are building”

Liam Watts is one of if not the tallest player in the Castleford Tigers squad, so when the big man got the ball around 40m out and began sprinting like an Olympic athlete to get his first try of the year, it was a memorable moment. Better still, it was the first score in an emphatic victory over Leigh Centurions by 52-6, you can read the match report HERE.

“I think I realised I was clean through and nobody anywhere near me, I was looking about and didn’t realise how far out I was and then seeing nobody at fullback, so I thought I’d pin them back and try score a try, my first one of the year,” said Watts to castlefordtigers.com

Is Liam Watts secretly a winger in a prop’s body?

“I wouldn’t go that far; I’d like to think I am but I’m definitely not!”

WATCH highlights of Castleford's big win over Leigh over Tigers TV

The first forty minutes of action against the Centurions was a far better showing than the opening half against Hull Kingston Rovers a week earlier where they trailed 22-6, despite getting the win in the end the Cas squad sought to put things right against Leigh.

“After last week’s performance we were not happy, so we knew we had to have a good start, I thought we got that and really good in all areas. Leigh have some tough players, they caused us a little bit of havoc in certain areas, I thought Matty Russell and James Bell caused us some problems so we did well. We were a little bit disappointed to concede 16 but at the end of the day it’s always pleasing to pick up a win as big as that.”

It was a terrific performance on the Tigers’ return to The Mend-A-Hose Jungle for the first time in six months and the first home game of the 2021 season, now Liam is eager to see the Fords faithful back in the stands.

“It was massive for us to come home, it felt different this week and making a statement, but we cannot wait to get our fans back in, it just doesn’t feel right without them here. We’ll hopefully see them back in a couple of games and we hope to share a bit of that success from a win with them.”

Three wins from three in Super League and progressing through to the quarter-finals of the Challenge Cup is an ideal start to the 2021 season for Castleford, but Watts insists that this is just the beginning, and the Tigers will not rest on their laurels.

“It’s just a start this we are building, we started like this last year and the last we want to do is fall off, last week was a bit of a shot across our bow and to not take teams too lightly, in no way am I saying we did take Hull KR lightly, they have got some good players but, we just were not at the races to start with, in that first half.

“To start the Leigh game as good as what we did was pleasing and I thought the outside backs carried the ball really well, Niall was back and he was a threat all over the park, Truey again on fire but I thought we all played well 1 to 17. We’ll see what happens with Jesse this week, but I hope he doesn’t miss out because I thought he had an awesome game.”