Warrington Wolves are focusing on delivering a strong performance rather than the play-off standings as they prepare to face Castleford Tigers at the OneBore Stadium on Saturday. Currently positioned just two points ahead of St Helens and outside the top six, Warrington aims to bounce back after a challenging month of July, during which they secured only two wins in six matches.

The Wolves enter the fixture following a dominant 72-6 victory over Castleford earlier this season, but coach Sam Burgess anticipates a significantly tougher encounter this time. “We’re chasing a performance, and we’re going there to respect Cas wholeheartedly,” Burgess said. He acknowledged the competitive nature of Castleford under their head coach Ryan Carr, who has led the team to notable wins against Leeds and Wigan in recent weeks. Burgess emphasized the importance of maintaining the right attitude and executing their game plan to “be Warrington Wolves” on the field.

Warrington will also benefit from the return of full-back Cai Taylor-Wray, who is expected to feature after recovering from an injury sustained in April. Taylor-Wray’s availability comes as a boost for the Wolves’ lineup, bolstering their options in attack and defence.

On the other side, Castleford head coach Ryan Carr downplayed any notion of revenge following their heavy defeat to Warrington in March, when the Tigers conceded 12 tries at the Halliwell Jones Stadium. “We’ve moved on from that one,” Carr said, highlighting the need to focus on the forthcoming match rather than past results. He pointed to improvements in recent performances, citing strong periods of play over the past two games, but stressed the importance of sustaining that level with greater consistency.

Both teams are aware of the stakes as they prepare for a tightly contested game, with Warrington seeking to solidify their play-off prospects and Castleford aiming to build momentum on home turf. The clash promises to test each side’s resilience and ability to execute under pressure.