Castleford Tigers defied a mounting injury list to move level on points with third-placed Warrington – and just two behind Wigan – with the kind of victory over the Wolves that underlines why last season’s league leaders are not perhaps the one-season wonder many suspected they were.
Their coach, Daryl Powell, was unable to select over half-a-dozen frontline players for this trip across the Pennines; yet despite being forced to call on a number of untried teenagers and fringe players, the Tigers became only the second team to win at Warrington this season.
Such is the extent of their injury problems, the Tigers were without almost the entirety of their first-choice backline – including last season’s top try-scorer, Greg Eden, who withdrew just hours before kick-off. Their young replacements acquitted themselves well though – not least in the first half of this enthralling contest.
The visitors took an early 12-0 lead after Mike McMeeken and Eden’s replacement, 19-year-old Calum Turner, touched down, but the hosts would soon stir into life. After Ryan Atkins teed up Tyrone Roberts to halve the deficit, Warrington drew level when Stefan Ratchford continued his fine recent form with a well-worked individual try.
An error from Turner then laid the platform for Daryl Clark to instinctively cross from dummy-half – before the former Castleford hooker then turned provider, as his half-break enabled Sitaleki Akauola to open up a two-score lead.
At that stage, it looked as though the game would spiral away from Castleford’s injury-hit side, but the manner in which they fought back to level courtesy of Jy Hitchcox’s try and three goals from the boot of Turner underlined the effort and endeavour of Daryl Powell’s sidedespite such adversity.
And despite Warrington again looking as though they had seized control of the contest, this time when Josh Charnley finished magnificently in the corner, Castleford hit back superbly. With mounting injury problems, the Tigers signed Quentin Laulu-Togaga’e from part-time side Halifax – and it was his brilliant individual finish, coupled with Turner’s goal, that put them ahead again.
Laulu-Togaga’e then created another try for Castleford, stepping inside superbly before turning the ball on to Oliver Holmes to open up an eight-point lead with ten minutes remaining. Charnley then set up a thrilling finish with his second try – but somehow, aided by a penalty from the boot of Adam Milner after Turner had left the field injured, the Tigers hung on for a hugely impressive victory.
Warrington Ratchford; Lineham, Goodwin, Atkins, Charnley; Brown, Roberts; Hill, Clark, Cooper, Livett, Hughes, Westwood. Interchange Philbin, Murdoch-Masila, Patton, Akauola. Tries Roberts, Ratchford, Clark, Akauola, Charnley 2. Goals Livett 2, Goodwin.
Castleford Turner; Minikin, Foster, Shenton, Hitchcox; Laulu-Togaga’e, Trueman; Cook, Milner, Millington, Wardle, McMeeken, Sene-Lefao. Interchange Holmes, Massey, Clark, Maher. Tries McMeeken, Turner, Hitchcox, Laulu-Togaga’e, Holmes. Goals Turner 6.
Referee B Thaler. Attendance 9,198.