PA Sport © PA Sporting Life Ltd 2001
Castleford kept alive their slender Super League top-five hopes by presenting coach Graham Steadman with his first away victory.
The Tigers opened impressively against the Salford City Reds and stormed into a 16-2 lead with tries from forward Michael Smith and centre Jon Roper, who ended his four-month lay-off with ankle trouble.
But a try from veteran winger Martin Offiah, the 478th of his remarkable career, just before the break gave the Reds renewed hope.
And they cut the deficit further with additional tries from Andy Coley and Kris Tassell.
Stand-off Danny Orr, who made a successful return from injury, steadied the visitors' nerves with a couple of penalties before scrum-half partner Mitch Healey made sure of the win with a well-taken try.
Steadman was relieved to see his men hang on for the victory - despite an unconvincing performance.
PA Sport © PA Sporting Life Ltd 2001
Castleford weathered a second-half fight back from Leeds to achieve a thrilling victory in a pulsating derby at the Jungle.
The Tigers led 24-6 at half-time but were forced to cling on for victory in the closing stages after Kiwi centre Tonie Carroll led a Leeds recovery with two tries.
But Castleford held on for a valuable win which moves them to sixth place in the Super League after a good recent run.
The Rhinos slumped to their first away defeat for over two months after paying dear for a poor first-half show.
Castleford took charge with three tries in a devastating nine-minute first-half spell.
Winger Wayne Pryce grabbed the first in the 15th minute by going in at the corner from Dale Fritz's pass.
Fritz then dummied his way through to score and Adrian Vowles sent in Mark Lennon from 40 metres and Danny Orr's third goal gave the Tigers a commanding 18-0 lead.
The Rhinos hinted at a revival when Iestyn Harris put Andy Farrell in for a 27th-minute try which Harris converted but they fell further behind before half-time.
Orr kicked a penalty goal after Chev Walker was sin binned and centre Jonathan Roper celebrated his home debut with a try after a great move involving Lennon and Orr.
Leeds came back into the game in the second half and threatened to spoil the home fans' party.
Carroll gave them hope with a 50th-minute try but the Tigers got an important score in the 57th minute when Orr's clever kick to the corner set up a try for Simon Lewis to put them 28-10 up.
The Rhinos were still not finished and cut the gap to two points with further touchdowns from Carroll, Barrie McDermott and Harris who kicked his third goal.
But the Tigers held out for victory in front of their biggest Super League crowd of the season of 10,625.
Reporter: David Allen
Copyright 2001 Super League (Europe) Limited / Skysports.com
Forgotten man Adam Hughes stepped
up from the Halifax Blue Sox Alliance team to secure a 22-16 victory over
Castleford Tigers on Sunday night.
The Blue Sox had been disappointingly defeated at Warrington last week and coach
Steve Linnane rang the changes to his line-up, including calls to the bench for
David Foster and Hughes, who has been out of favour in recent weeks.
They started where they left off at Wilderspool when Adrian Vowles brushed off
Gavin Clinch and fed Simon Lewis, who crossed in the corner to open the scoring
on eight minutes, Danny Orr converting.
Jamie Bloem pulled a penalty back in the 13th minute but, when Orr created the
space for Richard Gay, back in the Tigers side after injury, to score, the
visitors went in at half time 10-2 to the good.
Linnane's half time words of wisdom - after his charges had been booed off - had
immediate effect when, four minutes after the restart, Bloem reduced the gap to
two points when he went over and converted his own try.
Oliver Marns then put them 12-10 ahead before Orr replied with a converted try
to keep the Tigers' noses in front.
Jon Roper then had a try ruled out as he failed to ground properly, and that
came back to haunt the visitors as Johnny Lawless scored at the other end, Danny
Tickle converting.
And, with three minutes remaining and Castleford pressing for a winner, Hughes
marked his return to first team action with the try which made the gap six
points and sealed the win.
By Ian Laybourn, PA Sport © PA Sporting Life Ltd 2001
Bradford Bulls shrugged off the absence of the inspirational Paul brothers to consolidate their position at the top of Super League.
With Henry and Robbie still making their way back from Friday's Trans-Tasman Test in Wellington, the Bulls put the spotlight on British young guns Leon Pryce and Paul Deacon and both shone brightly against a weakened Castleford side.
Teenager Pryce, tipped as a future Great Britain stand-off, scored one of Bradford's seven tries and set up another for scrum-half Deacon, who demonstrated precision marksmanship by kicking eight goals from as many attempts.
But the star of the show was Australian Michael Withers, who continues to revel in the full-back spot vacated by Stuart Spruce. Withers, a constant danger with his probing runs from deep, scored the Bulls' first try and set up another for hooker James Lowes as Bradford blitzed the Tigers with a 24-point burst in 15 minutes midway through the first half.
Withers, Bradford's leading tryscorer, took his tally for the season to 19, 11 of which have come since his switch from centre three months ago.
Castleford, without four regulars including star stand-off Danny Orr, had started brightly and took the lead with a 12th-minute try from second rower Dale Fritz.
But once the home side began to adjust to their new half-back combination, there was only one winner. After Withers had made the initial breakthrough, Lowes demonstrated superb support play to grab two tries in seven minutes and then Pryce jinked his way over.
Deacon kicked all four conversions and put over a penalty to make it 26-4 at half-time and he then supported a fine break by Pryce to claim try number five.
Centre Scott Naylor piled on the misery for the Tigers with two second-half touchdowns but the visitors never gave up.
Scrum-half Mark Lennon worked tirelessly behind a beaten pack but Castleford failed to breach the best defence in Super League a second time.
PA Sport © PA Sporting Life Ltd 2001
Castleford overcame a spirited challenge from the resurgent Giants to stay in the hunt for a play-off place.
Bottom team Huddersfield led 10-0 after 14 minutes and were 14-12 up in the second-half but the Tigers got the edge with tries by centre Jonathan Roper and Kiwi forward Michael Smith.
The Giants went ahead in the ninth minute when Brandon Costin and Martin Gleeson made the opening for winger Andrew Frew to go in.
They increased their lead five minutes later when Danny Orr's pass was intercepted by scrum-half Ben Custo who sprinted 55 yards for a try which Costin improved.
Castleford struck back in the 16th minute when Roper set up a try for stand-off Orr who added the goal.
Prop Dean Sampson, making his 400th Castleford appearance, was hauled down just short of the line as the Tigers piled on the pressure.
Castleford clawed their way in front early in the second half.
Roper cut the deficit to two points with a 44th minute penalty goal before the Tigers went ahead two minutes later when Darren Shaw sent scrum-half Mitch Healey over.
The game swung Huddersfield's way again in the 50th minute when Paul Rowley sent in Costin to put them 14-12 up.
But the Tigers bounced back to regain the lead after an hour when a superb flowing move was finished by Roper.
They sealed victory eight minutes later when Smith powered over for the clinching score.
Castleford coach Graham Steadman praised his side's defence after the Tigers kept top five hopes alive.
He said: "Over the 80 minutes our defence won us the game.
"In the first half we were our own worst enemies but credit to Huddersfield, they are a much improved side.
"I thought there were some outstanding individual performances for us from Mitch Healey and Darren Shaw."
Huddersfield coach Tony Smith said: "I am very proud of the way we are going. It shows what we can do when we are given a fair chance.
"We were very disappointed to lose. I thought we were definitely the better team and this was one we should have won."