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By Ian Laybourn, PA Sport © PA Sporting Life Kiwi cracker Henry Paul celebrated the 100th try of his British club career as Bradford Bulls maintained their 100% record in Super League. West Yorkshire rivals Castleford, who enjoyed the best Super League record against the Bulls last season, put the leaders under pressure during a tense first half but the Challenge Cup finalists proved up to the task. Bradford, held 9-6 at half-time, cut loose in the second half with six tries and Paul, who is expected to be named in the New Zealand team for the ANZAC Day Test later this month, finished with an 18-point haul and the man-of-the-match award. Castleford faded badly after their bright opening and they ended the game with 12 men following the 73rd-minute dismissal of prop Dean Sampson for apparently leading with his elbow going in a tackle. The raging Bulls, who average almost 50 points a match after four rounds of Super League, were made to work for their early scores by a resilient Tigers side going for a third successive win. Castleford led 6-0 after only five minutes after lively half-backs Danny Orr and Brad Davis worked an opening for second row forward Lee Harland to score the opening try. Converted by full-back Jamie Benn. The Tigers' aggressive defence, superbly led by Andrew Purcell and Dale Fritz, stunted Bradford's attacking prowess at that stage, although they managed an equalising try on 17 minutes when Paul took the ball as first receiver close to the line and forced his way over for his landmark try. He kicked the conversion and put over a penalty shortly afterwards to put his side in front for the first time. Castleford had a chance to draw level when Bulls forward Stuart Fielden was sin-binned - and placed on report - for a late tackle on Benn but the full-back put the penalty wide. Paul edged his side further in front on the stroke of half-time with a nicely-taken drop goal and turned try creator six minutes into the second half when he beat his opposite number Orr and offloaded from Fritz's tackle for the supporting Michael Withers to touch down. Castleford always looked capable of hitting back but they suffered a body blow when winger Darren Rogers crossed the line only to be brought back for a forward pass and Bradford immediately took advantage of the let-off to stretch their lead. Full-back Stuart Spruce linked to make the extra man and his grubber kick to the line was smartly taken by right winger Nathan McAvoy for the Bulls' third try. At 21-6, it looked over but the Tigers were given renewed hope when right winger Jon Wells gathered Henry Paul's kick on his own 20-metre line and raced 80 metres for a glorious try, which Benn goaled. But Bradford made the game safe on 64 minutes when Withers broke clear and Robbie Paul took play on for Lowes to touch down and, as the 12-man visitors faded, the Bulls powered through for further tries by Spruce, Fielden and Lowes again, with Paul taking his goal tally to seven from eight attempts. By Ian Laybourn, PA Sport © PA Sporting Life Hull were denied the chance to go third in Super League by the immaculate boot of Aaron Raper. The Australian hooker, back after a two-match absence with a shoulder injury, set up three of the Tigers' four tries with delicate grubber kicks. Hull, looking for a third successive win, had recovered from a 10-0 interval deficit to edge 12-10 ahead but Raper, brother of coach Stuart, came to Castleford's rescue. The kick-off was held up 15 minutes to let the 8,358 crowd enter the Jungle but the action was certainly worth waiting for as play swung from end to end in a tense, keenly-fought affair. Two tries in a five-minute spell midway through the first half gave the Tigers the early advantage but Hull struck back with two in three minutes at the start of the second period to keep the excitement at fever pitch. There was little to choose between two enterprising sides in the first 40 minutes but Castleford defended their line superbly and took their chances at the other end. Big prop Ian Tonks, deputising for rib-injury victim Dean Sampson, breached the Hull defence on 15 minutes after a neat run-around between Raper and scrum-half Brad Davis but was unable to ground the ball in full-back Ben Sammut's tackle. Castleford took the resultant scrum, however, and centre Michael Eagar took Raper's pinpoint pass to cross for the opening try. And Hull had barely recovered from that blow when Davis pounced for a second try, racing onto Raper's clever deceptive kick off the inside of his right boot. Danny Orr added one conversion to make it 10-0 and, although Hull - spurred by lively hooker Mick Jenkins - pressed the Tigers' line for long periods and forced a series of drop-outs, the home side held them out until the second half. The game was turned on its head within six minutes of the re-start, however, as the visitors profited from a couple of defensive lapses from right winger Jon Wells. First left winger Matt Daylight leapt above his opposite number to collect a towering kick from stand-off Will Robinson and then, when the unfortunate Wells lost the ball in Daylight's tackle close to the line, centre Craig Simon had the simple task of picking up and touching down. Sammut, proving an able deputy this season for injured marksman Ian Herron, landed both conversions from the touchline to put Hull two points ahead. But another immaculately-judged kick from Raper, which Sammut only partially cleared, set up Eagar for his second try and, although Orr missed the conversion, he added a penalty 11 minutes from time to edge his side towards victory. That was secured on 71 minutes when Raper and Davis produced a replica of their earlier move for the scrum-half to grab his second try and Orr kicked his third goal. Eagar had what would have been a hat-trick try disallowed for a knock-on but Castleford had the points in the bag by then. By Ian Laybourn, PA Sport © PA Sporting Life Two tries in the last 10 minutes ended the brave resistance of the Wildcats in a keenly-fought Super League derby at Belle Vue, as Castleford triumphed 22-10. Wakefield had led 12-10 early in the second half but their suspect defence, which conceded an average of more than 30 points a game in the first two months of the season, finally cracked under intense pressure. Centre Michael Eagar grabbed his third try in two matches to break the deadlock on 70 minutes and two minutes later winger Jon Wells wrapped up the points by racing over for his side's fourth try of the game. Trinity were able to muster just a solitary try in reply but they largely held their own against their high-flying neighbours and the boot of captain Steve McNamara kept them well in contention for most of a tense encounter. The visitors began and finished the dominant side, however, with a smart handling move involving class act Adrian Vowles and Michael Eagar unlocking the Wildcats' defence for winger Darren Rogers to cross for a seventh-minute try. Vowles was in outstanding form and England stand-off Danny Orr also showed his class, jinking past Trinity defender Martin Masella and sidestepping full-back Steve Prescott for a glorious opportunist try. Castleford marksman Orr could only land two of his three first-half shots at goal and gritty Wakefield hit back to draw level just before the break with a third successful kick at goal from McNamara. The Wildcats also scored a scintillating try, Prescott supporting a half-break by Gary Price at a scrum deep inside his own half to show his pace from 70 metres. The try made up for an earlier disallowed effort by Prescott, who miraculously regathered a grubber kick from scrum-half Bobbie Goulding only for the video referee to rule he had failed to gain control of the ball over the line. The busy video referee was called on twice more inside the first five minutes of the second half. Wakefield were fortunate not to concede a third try within a minute of the re-start when Prescott fumbled Orr's "bomb" just short of his own tryline and, although Vowles swooped on the loose ball, slow-motion replays clearly indicated that he never had control. And there was a let-off at the other end when Prescott palmed the ball back from Goulding's towering kick only for centre Adam Hughes to ground the ball short of the line. The deadlock was broken on 53 minutes when Castleford second rower Lee Harland was penalised for dissent and McNamara put over his fourth goal from 30 metres. McNamara then lost his 100% record when he was wide with another penalty attempt after Vowles had been pulled up for a high tackle on Willie Poching and Orr leveled the scores on 58 minutes with a penalty after Trinity had been caught offside. When McNamara charged down a drop-goal attempt by Brad Davis, a draw looked the most likely outcome but Vowles had the final say, getting the dangerous Eagar into his stride for the crucial score. Orr added the goal and Davis then sent out a long pass for Wells to finish things off. By Ian Laybourn, PA Sport © PA Sporting Life Leeds staged a second successive Houdini escape act, snatching a dramatic victory thanks to a last-minute converted try from scrum-half Ryan Sheridan in a Super League thriller. The Rhinos, who came from 19-6 down to beat Wigan five days earlier, this time overturned an 18-6 interval deficit to rekindle their play-off hopes. Castleford's highest-ever Super League crowd of 11,702 lapped up a breathtaking, thrill-a-minute derby which looked to be going the Tigers' way until Sheridan raced through a gap to level the scores and Iestyn Harris kicked the match-winning conversion. Ironically, it was a rare off day from Harris that looked likely to cost his side dear. He missed with three of his first four goal attempts to leave his side trailing 18-14 with time fast running out. In a typically close-fought derby, Castleford had led from the second minute and they looked in command at half-time after the Rhinos, buoyant after their marvellous win over Wigan, were quickly brought down to earth. Barrie-Jon Mather, a try-scorer in each of his first two matches since his return to the Tigers, crossed the line after only eight seconds only to be recalled for a knock-on. But only two minutes had elapsed when scrum-half Brad Davis supported a break from winger Jon Wells to claim the first try and it got worse for Leeds when Tigers second-rower Ian Tonks followed up a clever angled kick from Aaron Raper to touch down after full-back Francis Cummins was deceived by a wicked bounce. Leeds winger Paul Sterling, at 35 the oldest player in Super League, pulled a try back on 23 minutes after a smart piece of handling from his centre, Richie Blackmore, and, as the visitors stepped up a gear, it needed some desperate last-ditch defence from Jason Flowers and Davis to deny Keith Senior and Sheridan. In fact, Leeds were just getting back into the game when veteran prop Dean Sampson delivered a devastating blow seven minutes before half-time when he powered his way over for the Tigers' fourth try after taking a short pass from Raper. Danny Orr's third goal from as many attempts opened up a 12-point cushion but Leeds, who sent on the experienced Daryl Powell five minutes into the second half, pulled a try back on 54 minutes when Senior crashed over from Harris' short pass close to the line. But Harris struck the left-hand upright with the conversion attempt to leave his side still trailing by eight points going into the final quarter. Their hopes flickered once more when substitute Graham Mackay forced his way over after Adrian Morley had split the Tigers defence and there were just seconds left when Sheridan scampered over for the killer try, to which Harris added the vital extra two points. © PA Sporting Life Lee Harland shattered Halifax hearts by diving over in the corner to give Castleford two valuable Super League points. Harland struck nine minutes from time after dogged Halifax clawed back a 14-2 deficit. Halifax had looked set to share the spoils after a superb second-half fightback but Harland capitalised on sloppy defending to steal the points for Castleford. In a tense opening period there was no score and little action for 18 minutes. Finally, the Blue Sox were awarded a penalty for holding in the tackle on the Castleford 10-metre line and Martin Pearson converted. The score woke the Sox up and they poured forward with only a Darren Rodgers tackle on the line preventing a Paul Rowley try seconds later. Halifax continued pressing but a succession of handling errors prevented them scoring the tries they deserved. They were made to pay dearly for their mistakes against the run of play on 31 minutes when Paul Smith stretched over the line despite an attempted tackle by Jim Gannon. Three minutes later Danny Orr threw himself over the line unchallenged under the posts from a Jason Flowers pass and Orr then converted his own score to give Castleford an undeserved 10-2 half-time lead. Castleford brought on Andy Lynch for the second half and he had an immediate impact. With his first touch of the ball he darted away from 50 yards down the left and dived over in the corner. But Halifax mounted a superb come-back and Gael Tallec dashed under the posts after good work from Rowley and Martin Pearson converted to bring the Sox back into the match. Eight minutes later a powerful run from Tallec led to Oliver Marns diving over the line. Pearson, under pressure, kicked the Sox level but Halifax could not hold on to the lead. Substitute Jamie Benn converted a last-minute penalty to seal Castleford's win. |
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