Tuesday 15 August 2017 12:52, UK
Castleford coach Daryl Powell will play his strongest side for Thursday's Betfred Super League derby against Wakefield as the Tigers seek to make history.
The League Leaders' Shield will be taken to the Mend-a-Hose Jungle ready to be presented to the Tigers at the end of the match if they secure the point they need to finish top of the table for the first time in the club's 91-year history.
Castleford, who have led the table for the last five months, are currently 10 points clear of second-placed Leeds with only four games left after the third round of the Super 8s.
If his side avoid defeat, Tigers captain Michael Shenton will be available to receive the trophy after sitting out last week's 23-4 win at Salford with a back complaint while Powell also has the option of recalling star forward Junior Moors and prolific winger Greg Eden, who will be named in his initial squad after recovering from major injury scares.
Moors, outstanding in the first half of the season, has missed the last eight matches with a knee problem while Eden is still the league's leading try scorer on 34 touchdowns despite sitting out the last three games with a shoulder injury.
"Greg Eden and Junior Moors will be named in the 19-man squad so I've got some calls to make on who sits where," Powell said.
"Those two guys are back and they're pretty good players for us.
"I think we've got one player injured at the moment and that's Kieran Gill, everyone else is available."
Eden, who forced his way into England coach Wayne Bennett's elite training squad with his prolific try-scoring form, needs six more tries to equal the Super League record set in 2016 by his predecessor Denny Solomona.
The return of Shenton gives Powell the opportunity to revert to his first-choice wing pair, with Greg Minikin having filled in at centre for the last four matches, although the impressive form of Joel Monaghan and Jy Hitchcox on the flanks has given the coach a selection dilemma.
"They have done themselves the world of good," Powell added. "Jy has been exceptional and he's really pressing people so I've got some calls to make and I'll be making them as we train tomorrow and move into the game.
"But we're looking strong. We've got players back and a lot of competition for places which should drive us as we move through the Super 8s."
