With the Wigan Warriors securing second spot in Suepr League last night, it was the yurn of the Castleford Tigers to ensure that they finished the Super Eights in third spot and a trip to the DW in the play-off semi-finals.
The opposition was Wakefield Trinity who could take guarantee themselves fifth spot with a victory over their opponents from ten miles up the road, for the second year running.
Castleford have emerged victorious from the last ten meetings between these two sides, including both encounters in 2018, 24-4 at the Jungle in April, and 11-6 in Wakefield a month earlier.
There was less than a minute on the clock when Greg Eden was on the end of Luke Gale chip over the defence to collect the ball and dive over. Gale added the conversion to get the Tigers off an running with the perfect start.
On eight minutes Eden got his second, in the same spot as his opener, but this time at the end of a cross field passing move where his were the sixth pair of hands and the winger found the overlap to go over easily. Gale added the extras for a 12-0 lead.
Wakefield’s woes were compounded on thirteen when Wakefield hooker Tyler Randell was sin binned for lifting in the tackle. From the next play Greg Minikin went over in the right corner as he took the pass twenty out and ran the arc to score. Gale showed that he can kick from both touchlines as he added the extras.
But then Wakefield steadied the ship and had a couple of chances to respond but the Tigers defence held firm. The whitewash wasn’t troubled again in the remaining twenty of the half with eighteen points separating them at the interval.
Pauli Pauli went close on forty six and on the next play Bill Tupou was on hand to take a miss-out pass with plenty of space to cross in the left corner. Ryan Hampshire slipped his conversion just wide of the near upright.
The Tigers struck back on fifty-one as Grant Millington pushed his way over the line through a crowd of Wakefield tacklers to ground by the post pad. Gale added his easiest conversion of the night for 24-4.
On fifty-five Reece Lyne reversed his way to the line and then stretched out to score Wakefield’s second of the night. Hampshire managed to add the conversion and Wakefield were into double figures.
Eden’s hat-trick came on fifty-eight when he ran the angle, broke the line, and ran in to score from thirty metres out. Gale was again accurate with the extras. Eden made it four on sixty-three when he again found an acre of space wide left to walk over the line to score. Gale was impeccable with the boot again for a 36-10 lead.
On seventy-five Paul McShane split the Wakefield defence and found Junior Moors in support to go over the line and improve the angle, touching down under the cross-bar. Gale made it seven from seven for 42-10.
From the first whistle the result was never in doubt as Castleford cruised to an easy victory over their near neighbours Wakefield. A couple of early injury blows and a sin-binning didn’t help the visitors position but a decent second twenty in the first half gave them some confidence. A couple of second half tries were mere inconvenience for the Tigers who put their foot on the gas and eased away for a comprehensive victory.
Castleford are confirmed in third and will travel to Wigan in a fortnights time to try and secure a return to Old Trafford.
Tigers: Mata’utia, Minikin (T), Webster, Shenton, Eden (4T), Trueman, Gale (7G), Watts, McShane, Millington (T), Moors (T), McMeeken, Massey. Subs: Roberts, Milner, Sene-Lefao, Clark.
Trinity: Grix, Jones-Bishop, Lyne (T), Arundel, Tupou (T), Hampshire (G), Wood, Huby, Randell (SB on 13), Arona, Ashurst, Batchelor, Crowther. Subs: Jowitt, Pauli, Horo, Annakin.
Referee: Gareth Hewer.
Half-Time: 18-0.
Full-Time: 42-10.
Attendance: .
