Betfred Super League
Castleford (18) 30
- Tries: Horne, Hoy, Milnes, Qareqare, Hall
- Goals: Milnes 5
Hull FC (10) 22
- Tries: Barron, Sutcliffe, Chan, Trueman
- Goals: Reynolds 3
Castleford Tigers continued their revival with a thrilling 30-22 victory over Hull FC, who suffered their ninth consecutive Super League defeat.
The Tigers surged to a 12-0 lead within nine minutes at The Jungle, thanks to impressive tries from Liam Horne and Tex Hoy. They maintained their advantage throughout the match, with further tries from Rowan Milnes, Jason Qareqare, and Corey Hall, marking their third win in six games.
Hull FC’s Harvey Barron, Liam Sutcliffe, Tiaki Chan, and Jake Trueman all crossed the try line, but despite a spirited finish, they couldn’t complete the comeback and remain second from bottom, five points behind Castleford and Leigh Leopards.
Castleford, who began the Super League season with six consecutive losses, started the game with electrifying energy. Horne scored following a break by Sam Hall, and Hoy capped off a team move by chipping through and touching down.
Hull FC, who announced John Cartwright as their future head coach, responded with Sutcliffe’s stunning 80-meter interception try. However, Milnes was pivotal for Castleford, scoring after chasing his own kick following a defensive error from Hull.
The second half saw Paul McShane’s try disallowed for obstruction, but Castleford’s pressure paid off when Qareqare scored after a high kick and smart handling by Sylvester Namo. Milnes then set up Hall with another superb kick, seemingly sealing the game at 30-10.
Hull FC fought back with Chan’s classy finish, assisted by Sutcliffe and converted by Ben Reynolds, reducing the deficit to 16 points. Trueman’s converted try from Barron’s kick added some respectability to the final scoreline.
Castleford head coach Craig Lingard said: “You’ve got to enjoy these nights but not get carried away, because it’s just one victory. We are far from the finished article, but after the poor second-half performance against St Helens, it’s great to win like this. We’re learning and taking small steps forward, with Leeds next week being another test.”
Hull FC interim head coach Simon Grix said: “We regrouped from London, but we blinked first in this game. We fought back before halftime, but the second half was similar. With 15 minutes left, we started playing as we’d practised. The challenge is to find that energy earlier. Tonight was a step forward from the low point in London. It’s an improvement, but not yet what we want.”
Castleford:
- Starting XV: Hoy; Qareqare, C Hall, Wood, I Senior; Milnes, McShane; Griffin, Horne, S Hall, Mellor, El-Zakhem, Westerman.
- Interchanges: Watts, Hodson, Namo, Hill.
Hull FC:
- Starting XV: Moy; Briscoe, Scott, Sutcliffe, Barron; Trueman, Reynolds; Ese’ese, Houghton, Aydin, Lane, Sao, Fash.
- Interchanges: Ashworth, Smith, Jebson, Chan.
Referee: Aaron Moore.
Credit: BBC Sport
