JAMIE CORDING won’t allow sentiment to get in the way of the Giants’ bid to return to the top of the Super League XVIII table.

Huddersfield are red-hot favourites to win at struggling Castleford Tigers in front of the Sky TV cameras today (3.00), with in-form back-rower Cording determined to lead the challenge.

And even though the 23-year-old knows he’ll be upsetting his former club in the process – and his girlfriend Emily, who is a big Cas fan! – he admits it’s a price worth paying.

“Cas gave me my break in the professional game as a 16-year-old and I had three good years there,” said the Featherstone-born Cording.

“But while I’ll always be grateful to Cas for that, the only thing on my mind is helping us (the Giants) get another win under our belts. I know Cas are doing it tough and are struggling at the bottom of the table, but I can’t worry for a single second about that.

“We let ourselves down at Salford last Friday and lost top spot as a result, which hurt like hell.

“But having responded so well at home to Widnes on Monday, everyone needs to give 100% at Castleford today to make sure we build on that and return to the top.

“As a squad, we don’t feel we’ve hit our best form yet, but we need to stop saying that now.

“Instead, we’ve got to go out there and prove it, which is what we need to do this weekend.

“If we play to our potential this weekend, then I know top spot will be ours again.”

And after a try-scoring display in the big 62-6 home triumph over Widnes, Cording is desperate to put in another top showing.

“At the start of the season I didn’t expect to play in this many games (eight out of the opening 10),” he added. “But the more games you play, the more your confidence grows and the hungrier you get.

“Getting this chance has been great and I know how important it is to play well again at Cas and keep my place.”