Super League: Castleford's Andy Lynch eyes record

Prop forward Lynch, who at 37 is Super League's oldest player, took his total of appearances to 441 over Easter, climbing above ex-St Helens full-back Paul Wellens into second place in the Super League all-time list, with only retired former Leeds captain Kevin Sinfield above him on 454.

"It's in the back of my head that I would like to pass Kevin," said Lynch, who will return to one of his former clubs when the league leaders take on Hull on Sunday. "I'll take it one week at a time though because I know I've got to keep performing to stay in the team."

Lynch, who began his professional career at Castleford in 1999, has a chance to break Sinfield's record before the end of the season but has not given up hope of playing on into 2018.

The former Hull and Bradford player, who intends to take his family to Australia when he finally hangs up his boots, has an option in his contract to stay with the Tigers for another season but is no hurry to make that decision.

"We'll take it one week at a time," he said. "Our physio Ben Cooper has been good with looking after us older players and the coaches do it too and that's been a massive help.

"We'll see how things are at the end of the year; there's no rash decisions being made just yet. I'm not even thinking about it. We'll just see what happens at the end of the season."

By then the Tigers are hoping to have secured a first-ever championship but, more immediately, are aiming to bounce back from last week's defeat at St Helens.

"We could do with getting these two points and it'll mean we've only lost two points in the first half of the season," Lynch said. "This is a massive game to get us back on track."

Lynch, who made 59 appearances for Hull from 2012-13, is expecting a stern test from his old club, particularly with hooker Danny Houghton, the reigning Man of Steel, back from a four-match injury absence during which his team won just once.

"He's massive for them and you can probably see that over the last few weeks," Lynch added. "He's a calming influence and his work-rate in defence is unbelievable.

"I think he's getting better and better with ball in hand too so having him back will be tough for us but we're confident of getting the two points.

"It's great to go back. It's a great place to play and for the home team, if things are going well, it's very tough. If we can do our job right and quieten the home crowd, then it's going to be great for us."

In Sunday's other game, Wigan host Catalans Dragons at the DW Stadium, where full-back Morgan Escare will go up against his old club for the first time.

The 25-year-old France international lost his place in Laurent Fraysinnous' side in 2016, making just 10 appearances, and was released at the end of the season despite having a year left on his contract.

Wigan snapped him up, initially on a 12-month deal and, after an impressive start to his career in England, handed him a new three-year contract, although coach Shaun Wane says he is far from the finished article.

"I'm happy with him," Wane said. "He's doing some good stuff but there's lots of improvement left in him."