CASTLEFORD Tigers head to the Galpharm Stadium on Sunday as the slight underdogs.

But their performances this season suggest the Giants can’t afford to take them for granted.

While the back-in-form Huddersfield are fourth on the Super League ladder with nine wins from 14 games, Castleford are seventh with seven wins.

One of the Tigers’ defeats was a narrow 26-24 defeat against the Giants at The Jungle on March 14, while they went down 16-6 at second-placed Hull KR in their last outing a week ago.

Castleford’s last win at Huddersfield was 29-12 in a 2004 Super League fixture, and they have lost on both trips since then, including a 64-12 thrashing in February last year.

Huddersfield have twice beaten their West Yorkshire rivals on the road to Wembley, in 1953 and 1962, and lost to Castleford in the final in 1935.

JOE WESTERMAN is regarded as one of the brightest young talents in the game.

The 19-year-old Castleford loose-forward was the engage Super League Young Player of the Year for 2008.

A strong defender and talented attacker, the 2007 National League season was Westerman’s first, winning his place in the senior squad at just 17 and never losing it.

At the end of that campaign he was named the National League Young Player of the Year and that set the platform for the 2008 Super League season when he took to the top-flight as if born for it.

The former Featherstone Lions junior has captained England Schools, represented the England Academy and was in the England train-on squad for last year’s World Cup squad before a foot injury ended forced him to pull out.

CASTLEFORD coach Terry Matterson, right, believes success in the Challenge Cup would provide his side with a boost as strong as the one experienced by the Giants.

The Australian felt Huddersfield’s appearance in the Challenge Cup final in 2006 kick-started their transformation into one of Super League’s leading clubs, with the Giants reaching the play-offs for the first time the following season.

And the Tigers chief is hoping it can have a similar affect on his side – if they can beat the Giants.

“It would be a big boost for us if we could get to the Challenge Cup final,” he said. “We’ve seen it benefit Huddersfield since they got to the final a few years ago, and I think they’re still riding that wave a bit.

“I’m sure it could have the same positive effect for us.”