They were the undisputed success story and surprise package in Super League last year, and while their start to 2015 hasn’t been quite as electric, Daryl Powell’s Castleford Tigers seem to be keen on proving the experts wrong once again.
Tipped by many for relegation last year, the Tigers stunned the rugby league world to finish fourth in Super League and reach the final of the Challenge Cup. They had a slow start to this year, with just one win from their first five games, but the following five have produced four victories, the most recent coming here against Hull Kingston Rovers.
The congested nature of the Super League table means that a couple of quick defeats can dramatically alter your position, but, with their team sat in fifth place after this win, Castleford fans can feel quietly confident moving forward after the first ten weeks of the season.
A good half-back pairing can often be the backbone of a team and, in Luke Gale and Ben Roberts, the Tigers seem to have a duo that can steer them to the sort of success they achieved last year under the stewardship of the canny Powell.
Defence is also a big plus point for Castleford so far in 2015, with less than 200 points conceded in the first 10 weeks of the season, including just four here against a Robins side that had no answer to Castleford’s dominant performance.
“Our attitude to defend was sensational and we look like we’re a tough team to break down,” said Powell. “It’s growing all the time and we’re pretty resolute. They got that try early on, but I don’t think they looked like scoring after that – and they’ve been blowing teams away recently.
“We weren’t fantastic at times, especially at their end of the field, but when you defend like that you can come up with a scratchy effort in attack.”
Hull KR had won three straight games before this defeat, but they will now have to pick themselves up ahead of a Challenge Cup showdown with Championship side Bradford Bulls next week, when plenty will fancy the Bulls to cause an upset against higher-ranked opposition.
“We didn’t get going, we had no energy whatsoever,” said the Hull KR coach, Chris Chester. “We were outplayed from the first minute to the last and, in truth, the best team won.
“Easter is a tough period; to play three games in 10 days is hard, but it’s no excuse. We just weren’t good enough; they seemed to run harder and tackle harder than we did throughout.”
Hull KR did break the deadlock here through a try for winger Ken Sio – but, amazingly, that was as good as it got for the Robins, who failed to register a point after that moment.
It was all one-way traffic for Cas and, led by the guile of Gale and Roberts, the Tigers posted 25 unanswered points to coast to an emphatic victory.
Jordan Tansey had posted the first try for Castleford in response to that Sio score, before tries from Gale and the impressive Nathan Massey made it 18-4 at the break, which was a lead the Tigers never looked like losing as the game rolled on.
Some resolute defending held off a spirited KR side at the start of the second half, before Gale slotted a drop goal between the posts to push Castleford’s lead out to 15 points.
There was still time for another try before the final hooter too, as Frankie Mariano crashed over from close range to ensure that Castleford’s impressive push up the Super League table continues.
