Castleford Tigers head coach Ryan Carr has reshaped his 21-man squad ahead of Saturday's Betfred Super League Round Twelve home fixture against St Helens.
The Tigers aim for consecutive wins after a gritty victory at York Knights.
Semi Velemei and Mikaele Ravalawa return from injury, while new signings Tyler Dupree and Phoenix Laulu-Togaga'e could make their home debuts.
However, George Hirst begins a two-game suspension, Aiden Doolan drops out, and Joe Westerman, Liam Hood, and Fletcher Rooney remain sidelined with long-term injuries.
Castleford has struggled with consistency and has not secured back-to-back wins since July 2024.
Carr described the upcoming match as a significant test for his developing side.
"It's a big challenge but a good one for us," Carr said.
The Australian coach highlighted the quality of St Helens while emphasizing the importance of using the hostile atmosphere at Wheldon Road to reward local fans.
"They're playing some really good rugby and have got good players across the park – but we've just got to focus on ourselves back at home," Carr added.
The Tigers previously secured a stunning upset against Wigan Warriors under Carr, but their current campaign requires greater consistency to climb away from the bottom of the Super League table.
"We were happy with our performance last weekend in terms of our effort and commitment to the game.
I just want to see another performance like that around effort and commitment," Carr said.
Carr noted that evaluating his players remains an ongoing process as he gathers more data from competitive matches.
"We know how good our supporters are and how hostile this environment can be when we get it right.
We want to make sure we repay that support with a committed performance," Carr said.
Despite persistent injury issues, the head coach remains optimistic about the squad depth.
"It's an ongoing process," Carr said.
The increased availability of players is expected to intensify competition for starting spots during training.
"The more rugby league we play, the better sample size you get to evaluate players and different mini-groups within the squad," Carr said.
The returning personnel provide options for mandatory line-up adjustments due to Hirst's disciplinary ban.
"I'm starting to get a real understanding now. There have been enough games to get a clear understanding of where things lie," Carr said.
The expansion of the active roster has positively impacted daily preparations.
"We're getting healthier each week, which is good, and we're starting to get players back," Carr said.
The selection changes take effect immediately for the upcoming round.
"The depth of the squad is getting bigger and bigger, which creates more competition for spots and better training practice.
Everything is better when you've got more players available," Carr said.
The official 21-man squad includes Mikaele Ravalawa, Daejarn Asi, Tom Weaver, Renouf Atoni, George Lawler, Jordan Lane, Alex Mellor, Joe Stimson, Brock Greacen, Jack Ashworth, Louis Senior, Jason Qareqare, Krystian Mapapalangi, Sam Hall, Cain Robb, Ashton Golding, Phoenix Laulu-Togaga'e, and Tyler Dupree.
