When Castleford lost last season’s Grand Final against Leeds, many wondered if they had blown their only chance of breaking the monopoly in Super League.
Clearly there is still a way to go before it becomes clear whether they can become only the fifth different champion in the competition’s history but performances like this against Warington amid a litany of injuries and setbacks make it hard to imagine they will not be in the mix again.
Castleford were without more than half a dozen frontline players but the squad men who replaced them – some of them still only teenagers – acquitted themselves superbly. This victory took them level with their opponents, who lie third in Super League, and only two points adrift of second-placed Wigan.
“We’ve had some big wins but for character and toughness I haven’t had a better win than that,” Daryl Powell said. The young full-back, Callum Turner, scored 16 of Castleford’s 34 points despite not training with the first team all week while the Samoan Quentin Laulu-Togaga’e excelled in the week he signed from the part-timers Halifax.
But Castleford, often reliant on one or two men on their run to the Grand Final last year, produced an all-round team display. Mike McMeeken and Turner put them 12-0 ahead, though Warrington fought back to lead 20-12 before a magnificent team try finished by Jy Hitchcox, coupled with two more goals from Turner, levelled it at half-time.
Warrington’s experience looked as though it would prove decisive when Josh Charnley moved them ahead again with a magnificent finish. Yet the visitors refused to give in. First, Laulu-Togaga’e darted through to mark his debut with a try, before turning the ball on for Oliver Holmes to seal the victory shortly after.
Charnley’s second try that followed could not spare Warrington from defeat – but their coach was magnanimous afterwards. “Credit to Castleford,” Steve Price said. “I thought they played really well with a number of players out: everything they did was superior to us.”
St Helens are now six points clear at the top after beating Hull KR 26-4, with Ben Barba on the scoresheet twice. The reigning champions, Leeds, however, continue to fall further off the pace after a fourth successive leaguedefeat, this time losing 25-18 to eighth-placed Huddersfield. Hull FC kept up their hunt for a play-off place with a comprehensive 45-14 win over Salford.
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 7.
Referee B Thaler. Attendance 9,198.
