Preview: Castleford Tigers vs Leigh Leopards - Prediction, team news and lineups

Castleford Tigers are targeting three consecutive Super League victories for the first time since 2024 when they host Leigh Leopards at the OneBore Stadium on Friday night.

The Tigers head into the clash on the back of a rare surge in form, but they will need to end a seven-match winless streak against the Leopards if they are to extend their winning run.

Match preview

Castleford Tigers have been in a real slump over the last few years, but there are finally positive signs around Wheldon Road following their recent winning run.

Ryan Carr and his men have won four of their last seven Super League outings, including their most recent two matches against York Knights and St Helens.

That recent resurgence has taken Castleford's win tally to five for the season, leaving them just one victory short of matching their entire league total from last year.

Consistency issues remain for the Tigers given that there are some heavy defeats sandwiched between their recent wins - including a 34-0 thrashing against rivals Wakefield Trinity and a 50-6 thumping at Hull KR.

Then again, the Tigers managed to topple the likes of Wigan Warriors and St Helens during that time, suggesting there is still plenty more to come from Castleford this season.

Carr’s men will now shift their focus onto Leigh as they look to end their seven-match winless run against the Leopards.

If that was not enough motivation for the hosts, Castleford could register three straight Super League wins for the first time since July 2024.

Leigh Leopards endured a difficult start to the Super League campaign, suffering a four-match losing streak between February and March.

However, Adrian Lam’s side have responded impressively and head into Friday’s clash having won four of their last five Super League matches.

The Leopards were dominant in their most recent outing, running in nine tries during a 42-6 victory over Hull FC a fortnight ago — a result that moved them to within two points of the top six.

Leigh have been in prolific scoring form in recent weeks, posting 30 points or more in three of their last four league games.

The only blemish during that spell was a narrow 20-16 defeat to Hull KR, although Lam’s men received plenty of praise after threatening an unlikely second-half comeback.

Having won six of their last seven meetings with Castleford, Leigh will be aiming to continue that strong record on Friday as they look to stay in touch with the teams above them in the playoff race.

Castleford Tigers Super League form:

L W L L W W

Leigh Leopards Super League form:

L W W W L W

Team News

The big news from Castleford concerns new signing Jack Brown, who has been named in the 21-man squad despite joining from Hull KR just a day before the team announcement.

The Tigers remain without Joe Westerman, Liam Hood and Fletcher Rooney, who are all out with long-term injuries.

George Hirst will serve the second of a two-match ban this week, while Semi Valemi enters the first of his three-match suspension.

Jenson Windley returns to the squad as he hopes to feature on Friday, while Mikaele Ravalawa drops out.

When it comes to the Leopards, Umyla Hanley and Owen Trout have dropped out of the squad.

The pair have been replaced by the returning duo of Robbie Mulhern and Aaron Pene - a big boost for Leigh and their pack.

Castleford Tigers 21-man squad:

Cini, McIntosh, Asi, Weaver, Atoni, Lawler, Lane, Mellor, Stimson, Greacen, Ashworth, Senior, Qareqare, Mapapalangi, Windley, Hall, Robb, Golding, Laulu-Togaga’e, Dupree, Brown

Leigh Leopards 21-man squad:

Armstrong, Charnley, Cook, Lam, Ofahengaue, Ipape, Mulhern, Halton, Liu, Pene, Alick-Wiencke, Davis, Horne, Hodgson, Senior, O’Brien, Hughes, Brogan, Brown

We say: Castleford Tigers 16-20 Leigh Leopards

Castleford Tigers have done well in recent weeks, but the Challenge Cup break may have come at the wrong time for the club, preventing Carr’s men from immediately building on their newly found momentum.

Leigh are also in great form, and they have a tremendous head-to-head record against the Tigers. With that in mind, we are backing the visitors to get the job done in West Yorkshire.