LIAM Horne hopes to turn up the heat on the man who turned him into the player he is today, by making Castleford more like an oven.
The Papua New Guinea international played under Leeds boss Rohan Smith at Australian side Norths Devils.
And a positional switch brought the best out of him – had the boss not moved him to hooker, it is likely he would still be working as an electrician Down Under.
Now he could help pile the pressure on the Rhinos chief by inspiring the Tigers to victory tonight at a Wheldon Road venue that reminds him of back home.
Horne, who also faces fellow Kumul Rhyse Martin, said: “I played under Rohan at Norths for five or six years and he’s a big part of my journey as a player and a human being.
“I was playing in the halves and he helped me transition to hooker. He just said, ‘Why don’t you give hooker a go?’
“He’s a really good coach and really cares about his players, always pushing them to be better. Off the field he’s a really good person too.
“Without him, I wouldn’t be where I am now but it’s good to be here playing full-time. In Australia, I had a full-time job – I’d be on sites like hospitals and offices working on the tools – and played on the side.
“My message is ‘You’ve a good one in Rohan, stick with him.’ Rhyse is also a really good bloke and player. He’s coming to our town now and hopefully we get the win.
“And Cas’ ground is one of the more unique ones. It’s so compact, loud and you can hear everything. We’ve got to use that to our advantage.
“Fans in PNG are actually like Cas supporters, they’re very passionate about rugby league – every time you walk around Cas, someone will have a chat to you.
“The only difference is the weather. Port Moresby’s like playing when you’ve opened an oven and the heat hits your face, it’s that hot.”
Horne and Castleford have only had one main training session and a captain’s run between Saturday’s Challenge Cup win at Batley and tonight’s derby.
But even though it was against a Championship side, working on the back of success is a welcome change.
The 26-year-old added: “We’d been chasing that win all season, so it was good to get that first one – hopefully it builds some confidence and we can keep on winning.
“Leeds play unorthodox rugby, I know how Rohan plays his rugby and we’re all ready for it and I’ve got to grips with the rivalry between the two.
“This game means a lot for both sides, I can’t wait to play.”
Boss Craig Lingard is searching for an opening Super League victory but insists this is the start of something that will be felt in the longer term, with even him adapting.
He said: “I’m not a coach that’s set in his ways and says he’s not budging from that. We know with the squad we’ve got there are things we may want to do that we can’t.
“But we’ve a belief in what we’re doing – this is a two or three-year project and we’re not expecting overnight success – but the building blocks don’t change.
“Some of the things we’re trying to do and some of the standards we set haven’t been at the club for quite a few tears. We know it’s not going to be an immediate impact.”
