By Ian Laybourn, PA Sport
Tetley's Super League leaders Leeds Rhinos will head for Cardiff next week with their 100% record intact after finishing strongly to pip a brave Castleford side in a thriller at the Jungle.
A 78th-minute drop goal from half-back Andrew Dunemann settled a pulsating derby, although Tigers captain Danny Orr had a chance to win it for the home side in injury time when he was wide with a touchline penalty.
Although the Powergen Challenge Cup finalists scored three tries to one, they were in serious danger of losing their proud record after being outplayed in the first half.
Captain Kevin Sinfield, whose precise goalkicking proved invaluable in last Saturday's epic cup semi-final win over St Helens, had an off day, missing with three of his four place kicks - and it almost cost his side the chance to make it 10 wins out of 10.
The Tigers, who looked hungry and refreshed after an 11-day break, dominated the opening exchanges against opponents who had played a gruelling 100-minute semi-final at the weekend.
In a hectic opening, prop Nathan Sykes dropped a pass from Lee Harland with a clear run to the line and loose forward Ryan Hudson was brought down short of the line after a determined run before the pressure finally told on 12 minutes, prop Andy Lynch crashing over on the burst.
Leeds showed their danger when Willie Poching, in for the second row for the injured Matt Adamson, broke clean through the home defence without finding the support and blockbusting centre Keith Senior was a threat every time he touched the ball.
When the Rhinos opened their account on 23 minutes, it rekindled memories of their thrilling cup win over St Helens five days earlier.
Scrum-half Dunemann slipped the ball out of a tackle on halfway and stand-off Danny McGuire, two-try hero at the McAlpine Stadium, raced 50 metres for a glorious score.
The 20-year-old McGuire, starting only his second match for Leeds, certainly enhanced his prospects of securing a place in the Rhinos side for the Millennium Stadium showdown with the Bulls.
Wayne Bartrim then stretched Castleford's lead with two well-struck penalties, one of them from the halfway mark after Sinfield had kicked out on the full from the restart.
Sinfield found his accuracy with a penalty after the home side were caught offside to cut the deficit to four points but Bartrim replied shortly afterwards when McDermott was punished for an incorrect play-the-ball.
Leeds suffered a potentially-devastating blow to their Cup final hopes on 54 minutes when hooker Matt Diskin was carried injured from the field.
But substitute Rob Burrow was quick to make his mark as substitute, getting Chev Walker into his stride with his first touch and Poching went over for a second Rhinos try after the centre had flung a speculative pass back inside.
Sinfield was once more wide with the conversion and Bartrim again highlighted the miss when he put over a 45-metre penalty before Walker bounced off two defenders and eluded Darren Rogers to touch down for the try that brought the scores level.
By Ian Laybourn, PA Sport
Castleford brought Huddersfield's winning run to an end with a tense victory that lifted them back into the top six of the Tetley's Super League.
The Giants twice held the lead as they went in search of a fourth successive win but paid the price for a series of missed chances in an error-strewn clash at the McAlpine Stadium.
The Tigers trailed 16-14 early in the second half but finished the stronger to emerge from their recent lean spell.
They were indebted to the devastating finishing of two-try forward Michael Smith and the goalkicking of Tigers skipper Danny Orr, who failed with a chance to win last Thursday's game against leaders Leeds but was today in top form with six out of six.
Huddersfield had no answer to the power-packed running of New Zealand international Smith, who twice forced his way over from close range to give the Tigers a 14-12 interval lead.
But there was never much to choose between the sides and the Giants scored their two first-half tries while down to 12 men following the sin-binning of Julian Bailey for obstruction.
Influential stand-off Brandon Costin glided through for the first and strong-running winger Hefin O'Hare combined effectively with David March for the second.
Impressive second rower Jamie Bloem crashed over to restore the Giants' lead three minutes into the second half but Orr engineered an opening for loose forward Ryan Hudson, a former Huddersfield player, to go over for the crucial try as the lead changed hands for a fourth time.
The game remained finely balanced until seven minutes from the end when Huddersfield hooker Darren Turner was punished for ball stealing and Orr stretched his side's lead to 22-16.
Scrum-half Francis Maloney ensured there was no way back for the home with when he slotted over a drop goal and prop Andy Lynch sealed the win when he went over for his side's fourth try with three minutes left.
By Ian Laybourn, PA Sport
Castleford grabbed three tries in the last nine minutes to snatch a sensational draw at The Jungle as the scores finished tied for the first time in Super League VIII.
Hull looked to have the game sewn up when they led 26-8 after an hour. But they faded badly in the final quarter, and Tigers hooker Wayne Bartrim levelled with the final kick of the match.
Two of Castleford's late tries came in time added on for injury to Hull winger Matt Crowther, who suffered a double fracture of his left leg on his comeback from a six-week lay-off with a calf injury.
Crowther fell awkwardly in a two-man tackle trying to run the ball out of his own in-goal area and, after a six-minute stoppage, was carried from the field on a stretcher.
The point was still enough to lift Hull into third place in the Tetley's Super League - but they will be kicking themselves for failing to make more of a commanding position.
Even without captain Jason Smith and his right-hand man Tony Smith, Hull had far too much craft and guile for a Castleford side who rarely threatened for an hour.
Loose forward Chris Chester made a sparkling return from injury, setting up all three first-half tries - while stand-off Paul Cooke came up with some telling contributions and Australian hooker Dean Treister made a useful debut, just 48 hours after flying into the country.
Centre Richie Barnett, leading the side in the absence of the two Smiths, maintained his prolific scoring rate with two tries to take his tally for the season to 12.
The former New Zealand captain went over twice in eight minutes from smart Chester passes, and full-back Steve Prescott also took his total for the season to 12 when he sliced through after another defence-splitting pass from the influential Chester.
Hull would have been further ahead by half-time but for the swirling wind which hampered the goalkicking of Prescott, who was off target with three of his first four shots at goal - misses that would eventually come back to haunt him.
Castleford, boosted by the return from injury of veteran scrum-half Mitch Healey, were level after 14 minutes when stand-off Danny Orr accelerated through a gap after taking Wayne Bartrim's pass to score a neat try.
Bartrim converted the try and added a penalty just before half-time to keep the Tigers in touch.
But when scrum-half Richard Horne jinked and sidestepped his way through a bemused home defence early in the second half it appeared to end any lingering hopes of a Castleford victory.
Prescott kicked two further goals, and winger Colin Best took a superb pass out of the back of his hand by Cooke to stretch Hull's lead to 26-8.
But Castleford launched their comeback when Orr went through Cooke's tackle to score his second try.
Centre Michael Eagar went 45 metres after intercepting Barnett's pass - and, with time running out, full-back Damian Gibson latched on to Orr's crossfield kick and raced in for a fourth try.
Bartrim then maintained his composure with the angled conversion to make it five goals from as many attempts.
© SportingLife.com 2003
Challenge Cup holders Bradford Bulls overcame the dismissal of Great Britain three quarter Leon Pryce to register the 10th successive victory and keep up the pressure on Super League leaders Leeds.
Pryce, who started the game as the league's joint leading try scorer with 13, had figured in the build up to Bradford's first two tries before being sent off in the 32nd minute for a late tackle on Castleford stand-off Danny Orr.
Referee Steve Ganson made the decision after the intervention of a touch judge.
Orr was helped off the field only minutes after his half back partner Mitch Healey had been injured and although Healey returned in the second half the double injury blow clearly affected Castleford.
Paul Deacon put Bradford ahead with a first-minute penalty goal and the visiting defence was soon under pressure but after weathering the early storm Castleford grabbed the lead when Kiwi forward Michael Smith forced his way over after 10 minutes despite the attention of three defenders.
Wayne Bartrim had scored the goal to give the visitors a 6-2 lead, much against the run of play but Tongan winger Tevita Vaikona put Bradford back in the driving seat with two tries in two minutes midway through the half.
Deacon set up the first with a strong midfield break, enabling Pryce to give Vaikona an easy run in but the winger had to work much harder for his second try, showing his considerable power to break two tackles near the line.
After Pryce's dismissal Bartrim cut Bradford's lead with a penalty goal but Deacon's fourth success gave Bradford a 16-8 lead at the interval.
Bartrim was on target again with a 51st-minute penalty and the pressure seemed to be mounting on the depleted Bulls but they charged into a decisive lead with two quickfire tries.
Prop Joe Vagana crashed over from close range after 55 minutes following a smart pass from hooker Jimmy Lowes and then linked smartly with skipper Robbie Paul to send Deacon over.
The scrum half added three more goals to open a 20-point-gap and despite being a man short the Bulls continued to dominate.
The double injury blow to Healey and Orr clearly affected Castleford who were already without a handful of first choice players but they rarely registered in the second half despite the advantage of an extra man.
© SportingLife.com 2003
Castleford totally outplayed play-off rivals Widnes in a one-sided game at The Jungle.
The Tigers ran in seven tries including two second-half efforts by winger Darren Rogers.
Jules O'Neill put Widnes ahead with a ninth-minute penalty goal - their only points of the game - after Castleford were penalised for ripping the ball out in a two-man tackle.
Castleford got the opening try in the 16th minute when lively hooker Ryan Hudson burst through from a play the ball and Wayne Bartrim added the goal.
Widnes had a let-off three minutes later when Bartrim and Mitch Healey made an opening for Damian Gibson but he knocked on over the try line.
The Tigers were out of luck again when skipper Danny Orr finished a well-worked move but the effort was disallowed for a forward pass.
But they eventually increased their lead in the 28th minute when further pressure resulted in teenage full-back Tom Saxton going in and Bartrim tagging on his second goal.
Widnes' hopes faded further two minutes into the second half when good play by Orr, Andy Lynch and Michael Eagar resulted in Rogers collecting his first.
The Vikings tried hard to get back in the game. Phil Cantillon was held up over the line after Adam Hughes latched on to Ryan Sheridan's high kick.
But the Tigers struck again in the 53rd minute when Rogers raced 70 yards for his second to put them 22-2 up.
They put the game beyond Widnes' reach when Orr's pass put Lynch over and Orr added the conversion.
The home side rounded things off with further tries from Andy McNally and on-loan signing Jon Hepworth and Bartrim's fifth goal.