Castleford Tigers increase efforts to bring in players to boost squad after heavy defeat to Wigan

​After suffering a humiliating 60-6 defeat in their Challenge Cup tie against the Warriors Craig Lingard’s men face them again on the world champions’ own patch this Friday and the head coach is hoping to boost his injury ravage squad.

Cas had 12 first teamers missing for the cup tie and expect to be short on numbers again for the Super League outing so are looking to the loan and transfer market to bring in help.

"We're trying to get some bodies in and we're hopeful of doing that this week at some point," said Lingard.

"Those conversations with other clubs are fluid because the situations are changing based on injuries and the positions they need to cover.

"It's imperative that we start getting some bodies in, particularly in the outside backs where we're struggling for numbers."

Lingard was left frustrated by the manner of his side’s cup defeat.

He added: "If there was ever a game that showed you the difference between the top of Super League and the bottom of Super League, that was it.

"Wigan were outstanding and we were very, very ordinary.

"We made it too easy. It was the first 20 minutes for me. You’ve got to impose yourself on a game and we started the game defensively weak and allowed them to score easy tries.

"If you defend tough and get the ball back in good positions, it makes the game a lot easier. Unfortunately, we weren't willing to do the defensive side of the game.

"Too many times we sat back and allowed Wigan to run at us and there were too many people with one-on-one misses.

"There are ways to win games and ways to lose games. That certainly wasn't a way to lose a game, regardless of the players that weren't playing."

Lingard hopes to have prop Liam Watts back after he sat out the cup tie following a head injury, but is facing up to losing one of his off season recruits, Josh Simm, for the rest of the campaign.

He explained: "Josh Simm has had a scan after dislocating his shoulder and unfortunately it's pretty much going to be a season-ending injury. He's going in for an operation next week and it's a five-to-six-month turnaround on that.”