Match Preview: Castleford (H)

This matchday will serve as our Saints Community fixture and Inclusion Round for 2026, with members of our Wheelchair and LDSL teams all taking part in the day. It promises to be an exciting summery Saturday, with our Academy also up first against Wakefield Trinity.

With a bigger and better HALO FanZone open from 12pm too, and then re-opened after the First Team game too, you can make even more of your match day and enjoy a great day out!

• St.Helens Academy vs Wakefield Trinity
  • 12pm KO
  • Academy Play-Offs – ‘Middle Four’
• St.Helens vs Castleford Tigers
  • 3pm KO
  • Betfred Super League – Round 24

 TICKET INFORMATION

Tickets start from just £27.50 for adults and an incredible £6 for juniors aged 12 and under, with Under 5s tickets FREE!

The easiest way to secure your spot at the BrewDog Stadium is to purchase your ticket online here. You can secure a digital or ‘Print at Home’ ticket, which would not require you to visit the Ticket Office.

Fans can visit the Ticket Office during opening hours, or contact us by calling 01744 455 052.

😇 NEXT-GEN UP FIRST

The Academy play-offs continue, and it’s going to be an exciting fixture in the ‘middle four’ when our Under-18s host Wakefield Trinity. The Red V will be looking to follow up from a great away victory last week against Hull KR, 12-26.

It’s the opening match of our double header at the BrewDog Stadium on Saturday afternoon, so why not come along to the ground earlier and cheer on our next-gen?!

🤩 MAKE MORE OF MATCHDAY

The HALO FanZone will be bigger and better for this Saints’ Community Development Foundation fixture!

Starting from 12pm fans can expect an enhanced match day experience with the HALO FanZone located on the approach to the ground, with the main hub of activity located just outside The Marching Inn.

Plus, for the first time in 2026, our FanZone will reopen after the game against the Tigers, with live music until 7pm, and the Saints Superstore will also be open for supporters after the game.

Food Trucks, Coffee King, JJ’s Ices, Player Q&As, Jack Dean live, DJ Earl Raff and so much more, make sure you join us in the HALO FanZone!

 SQUAD NEWS

Coach O’Carroll makes two changes to the squad that was victorious last weekend over Wakefield.

It’s a welcome sight to have Mark Percival back in the 21-man selection, and he is joined by young Academy forward Oscar Knox, who is drafted into the squad ahead of Saturday afternoon.

Lewis Murphy and Alfie Tate are the Saints who step out of the 21-man selection from Round 23.

The Tigers make several changes with their three loanees from Leigh coming into their squad; those men are: Lazarus Vaalepu, Keanan Brand and Ben McNamara. Brock Greacen is also available for selection.

Castleford Tigers’ 21-man squad

5. Mikaele Ravalawa, 6. Daejarn Asi, 7. Tom Weaver, 8. Renouf Atoni, 9. Liam Hood, 10. George Lawler, 11. Jordan Lane, 12. Alex Mellor, 13. Joe Stimson, 14. Brock Greacen, 21. Louis Senior, 24. Jenson Windley, 25. Sam Hall, 27. Cain Robb, 32. George Hirst, 35. Phoenix Laulu-Togaga’e, 36. Tyler Dupree, 39. Jack Brown, 40. Lazarus Vaalepu, 20. Keenan Brand, 21. Ben McNamara.

 COACH PREVIEW

Eamon O’Carroll spoke to the press ahead of the game on Saturday, O’Carroll is expecting a tough test when the Red V welcome the Tigers to our ground on Saturday.

The Saints are looking to build on last weekend’s win at Wakefield Trinity, with our coach pleased with the squad’s spirit and work in training.

Saints TV subscribers can watch Eamon’s full Coach Preview

 FOLLOW THE GAME WITH SAINTS

Won’t be at the BrewDog Stadium? We have you covered!

Saints fans will be updated live in full with the Saints’ Live Match Centre – brought to you by Acorn Motor Group. This is your Saints hub to find out the team news, follow live game updates, see behind-the-scenes photos, and click to read all the key stories of the fixture.

St.Helens’ social media accounts will keep supporters up to date on every key moment, so make sure you are following us!

X/Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

THE REST OF ROUND 24

No Thursday game means we have to wait until Friday for Round 24 to start; however, we did have the delayed Round 2 fixture on Tuesday night between Hull KR and Warrington Wolves, with the Wolves winning that encounter 28-34.

With the Red V beginning a Saturday which consists of two other games, it’s set to be a great week with plenty of interesting fixtures.

Here’s how the other Round 24 fixtures look:

Friday

Leigh Leopards vs Bradford Bulls – 8pm
Wigan Warriors vs Wakefield Trinity – 8pm

Saturday

Hull KR vs Toulouse Olympique – 5:30pm
Catalan Dragons vs Hull FC – 8pm

Sunday

Warrington Wolves vs Huddersfield Giants – 3pm
York Knights vs Leeds Rhinos – 3pm

Take a look at how the Betfred Super League table looks ahead of our Round 24 fixture by clicking here.

 THE MARCHING INN

The Marching Inn at the BrewDog Stadium will once again be open for our Saints faithful, and we hope you will call in to visit.

We will open the bar from 12pm on Saturday for you to soak up the match day atmosphere and get ready to go and cheer the Saints on!

SHORROCKS WANTS TO BUILD ON WAKEFIELD WIN

The Saints’ loose forward spoke positively about the strength within the squad despite the number of injuries Saints have had to contend with, stressing the importance of backing up that performance when they face Castleford this weekend.

He also touched on the heavy defeat Saints suffered against the Tigers in the reverse fixture, admitting the squad will be determined to put that result right when the two sides meet again.

Saints TV subscribers can watch the full interview with Joe

 HALF TIME CHALLENGES

The Liverpool John Lennon Crossbar Challenge will see a Saints supporter get three attempts from the 20m line to hit the crossbar with a drop kick. With the eyes of all the Saints faithful in the West Stand watching, the pressure will be on!

The prize for this round thanks to easyJet, if the crossbar gets hit, is a pair of return flights to Budapest, Iceland or Kittila (Lapland) with a VIP Airport Experience!

easyJet has three new routes this winter flying from Liverpool: Budapest, Iceland and Kittila in Lapland. Book yourself a winter escape at easyJet.com.

🎯 Congratulations to Kevin, who won himself a trip away with the @LPL_Airport Crossbar Challenge from our last home game, thanks to @easyJet!

Find out at half-time of the First Team game on Saturday if someone can do it again this week!#COYS pic.twitter.com/N6Az6bsATb

— St.Helens R.F.C. (@Saints1890) August 18, 2026

Can you beat the Wingman? One lucky fan will race over 80m against the Wingman himself, who will ride along our LED system on the Wingman North Stand Perimeter.

THE RECORD AGAINST CASTLEFORD TIGERS

The two sides have met 69 times in the Betfred Super League era, with Saints winning 56 of the meetings and Castleford winning 12, and just the one draw.

St.Helens’ largest Super League win over the Tigers came back in 2006, as they ran out 72-4 winners away from home, with star centre Jamie Lyon scoring an outstanding 32 points after scoring a double and converting 12/12. Castleford’s largest winning margin in this fixture was in 2022, claiming a 30-10 win over Kristian Woolf’s young Saints side, as well as the previous meeting this season when Saints suffered a poor 30-10 loss in Round 12.

Our Saints have had the better of the Tigers in recent years, winning eight out of the last 10 fixtures; however, the sides have faced each other twice already this season, with the Tigers getting the better of us in the most recent Super League fixture, defeating Saints 30-10 at The OneBore Stadium in Round 12. The Red V got the result when the sides first met at The Jungle this season in the Fourth Round of the Challenge Cup, with Saints winning 8-32.

Last ten meetings

Castleford 30, St Helens 10 (SLR12, 23/5/26)
Castleford 8, St Helens 32 (CCR4, 14/3/26)
St Helens 26, Castleford 24 (SLR27, 19/9/25)
St Helens 40, Castleford 0 (SLR20, 1/8/25)
Castleford 6, St Helens 46 (SLR2, 22/2/25)
St Helens 40, Castleford 4 (SLR26, 13/9/24)
St Helens 6, Castleford 8 (SLR16, 5/7/24)
Castleford 4, St Helens 60 (SLR11, 10/5/24)
Castleford 4, St Helens 34 (SLR23, 25/8/23)
St Helens 22, Castleford 0 (SLR17, 30/6/23)

 SUPPORTER SAFETY

St.Helens R.F.C. want to ensure that everyone who comes to enjoy game days at the BrewDog Stadium can do so in a safe and friendly environment. The Club would like to reiterate to supporters that it operates a zero-tolerance approach to any anti-social behaviour.

Misbehaviours that will not be tolerated include, but are not limited to; physical or verbal abuse, violent conduct, missile throwing, excessive alcohol misuse, and any drug use.

Furthermore, the use of pyrotechnics is strictly prohibited under both rugby and football ground regulations. They can cause serious injuries to those who carry them as well as fellow spectators, as well as damage to surfaces such as the playing pitch which can cost clubs thousands of pounds.

St.Helens would also like to encourage parents/guardians of children coming to the ground to ensure they are always aware of what their child is doing and where in the stadium they are at all times.

 BAG CHECK

Personal bags of A5 size or smaller only will be permitted in the BrewDog Stadium, and our stewarding staff will check your bags and conduct bag checks upon entry. We kindly ask supporters to please remain patient and be co-operative with our staff, and we thank you for your understanding.

Bags larger than A5 will only be permitted at the discretion of St.Helens R.F.C. staff if containing essentials for babies, or medical purposes and will be subject to being searched before entry. It is advised to provide Medical Exemption Certificates or proof of eligibility for a Medical Exemption Certificate.

O’Neills branded paper bags from the Saints Superstore will be permitted entry, however, they too will be subject to bag checks from our stewarding staff.

Bag-Drop Facility

A Bag-Drop area will be set up at the BrewDog Stadium for any bags that would not be permitted entry. This will be located in the South East corner of the stadium and will be open from two hours before kick-off and will close one hour after full time.

Please note our Bag-Drop facility will cost £3 per bag, and as a cashless venue, only debit or credit cards will be accepted. St.Helens R.F.C. accepts no responsibility for loss or damage of items which are left at the owners’ risk, with all bags subject to a search.

WHO WILL BE THE MATCH OFFICIALS?

Tom Grant will be the Referee on Saturday afternoon, and he will be assisted by Touch Judges Tara L. Breheny and D. Bowmer, as well as Video Referee Chris Kendall.

 TUNE IN TO WATCH LIVE

Saturday’s fixture will be available to watch live on Sky Sports + and SuperLeague+ from 2:55pm ahead of the 3pm kick-off.