Hungry duo eye top table

Sunday's Co-operative National League One Grand Final is being billed as the £1million match and is arguably a bigger game than even the Super League Grand Final next week.

Widnes and Castleford meet at Headingley with a place in Super League at stake - and all the riches that will bring for the promoted clubs.

Both clubs have maintained full-time playing staffs in their absence from the big time - the Tigers were relegated last season and the Vikings fell through the trapdoor two years ago.

Top table

But both Castleford and Widnes are rugby league towns and both clubs will feel they deserve a place at the top table. But both also know that come Sunnday night, only one of them will be preparing to tuck in.

"The players aren't daft," Widnes coach Steve McCormack said. "They know what it means to the club and themselves to get back in the top flight.

"But we've got to concentrate on the performance rather than the occasion - if you analysed it too much you wouldn't come out of your bedroom, you'd be too frightened!"

The Tigers, who beat McCormack's Whitehaven in their only previous League Grand Final two years ago, are marginal favourites to bounce back once more at the first attempt, but Widnes were the last team beat them and honours are even in their head-to-head clashes this season.

"I think they're coming into the final in some good form," added McCormack. "They beat us two or three weeks ago but these are one-off games.

"In the four games we played, they've all been small margins. Castleford have been great at the back end of the year but they know they've got to play well to beat us."

Obligations

Former New Zealand international Awen Guttenbeil agreed to join the Tigers from New Zealand Warriors while they were still in Super League but decided to fulfil his obligations and is now hoping to reap the ultimate reward.

"Promotion and relegation is not something I've experienced before and probably when I signed I didn't really understand how big a deal it is," he said.

"It is a huge challenge and I enjoy challenges. When I decided to come to Castleford, it was to get into this game and play my part in getting the club back into Super League.

"It was a big decision to come. There were a lot of other options but I chose to come here.

"Part of it was that I get to dabble in the coaching side of things and I've enjoyed that this year. I guess on Sunday I'll let you know whether it was the right decision or not."

Sunday's Headingley triple-header gets under way at 1pm, with the Rugby League Conference final between holders Bramley and Featherstone Lions, followed by the League Two promotion-decider between Featherstone Rovers and Oldham.