Former Leeds favourite Gary Mercer will be aiming to turn the Tetley's Super League table on its head tonight when he takes his relegation-threatened Tigers to fortress Headingley.

Top meet bottom as the Rhinos, unbeaten at home all year, look to open up a five-point gap and heap more misery on their near-neighbours, who have tasted victory just once in 17 matches this season.

Win or lose tonight, however, Mercer is confident Castleford can pick up enough points in the last three months of the season to preserve their top-flight status.

The Tigers have still to meet fellow strugglers Widnes twice and will also be targeting maximum points from home games against Huddersfield and Salford.

"At the back of my mind, I am looking at those games as target games but I believe we can go to Headingley and win and the players believe they can too," said Mercer, who spent six years as a player with Leeds.

"I'm sure there are a lot of doubters in the game, saying Cas have got no chance.

"But, if we get a strong performance, it's a confidence boost to take us into those games we look to pick two points up from."

Cas have skipper Ryan Hudson back after he was rested against champions Bradford last Sunday and former New Zealand Warriors prop Mark Tookey hopes to arrive in time to get a first look at his new team-mates before making his debut next weekend.

Leeds are likely to be without Richie Mathers and Ali Lauitiiti but they have stand-off Danny McGuire back in the starting line-up as he looks to maintain his lead in the chase to become Super League's top try-scorer.

McGuire scored a hat-trick in his side's 34-8 win at the Jungle in March and, remarkably, has never failed to score against Castleford since breaking into the Rhinos' first team three years ago.

l Brad Davis, the oldest player to lace up a pair of boots in Super League, will help fill the void created by the sudden departure of Castleford's coaching consultant Ellery Hanley.

The 36-year-old Davis, midway through a two-year contract as player-coach of French club Villeneuve, rejoined the club last month for a short-term stint to help the Tigers' desperate battle against relegation.

He will make his third appearance against leaders Leeds tonight and has also been lending his vast experience to head coach Mercer following the decision of Hanley to cut short his stay at the Jungle.