Castleford Tigers Match Reports

Whitehaven sealed their place in the LHF Healthplan Grand Final with a tremendous comeback to beat Castleford 32-22.

The Cumbrians trailed 18-6 at half-time after Castleford started strongly, scoring 18 points without reply in the opening 15 minutes.

Carl Sice pulled a try back 10 minutes before the break and got another in the second half before Nick Nanyn grabbed a double himself. Craig Chambers and Craig Calvert also touched down to spark celebrations after the match.

Castleford at least have a second chance of reclaiming their Super League status as they will play Halifax in a final eliminator next Sunday, with the winners of that tie going on to face Whitehaven in the Grand Final.

Castleford will play Whitehaven in the National League One Grand Final at Widnes next Sunday after surviving a late Halifax fightback to win a pulsating final eliminator 15-12 at the Jungle.

The Tigers maintained their unbeaten home record this season after taking a 10-2 half-time lead courtesy of a 29th-minute try from full-back Michael Platt and two goals from Richard Fletcher and one from Steve Crouch.

Halifax's David Larder had a 44th-minute touchdown ruled out before Castleford stretched their lead with a try from winger Damien Blanch and a drop goal by Paul Handforth.

Tries by Rikki Sheriffe (67 minutes) and Andy Kirk (72 minutes) and a touchline conversion by Jamie Bloem came too late to save Halifax.

By Dave Hadfield

Published: 03 October 2005

Castleford moved a nervous step closer to a return to the Super League, but they nearly stumbled in the last few minutes against a resilient Halifax side.

When Paul Handforth dropped a goal for a 15-2 lead with 15 minutes to play, the Tigers seemed to be cruising to a National League One Grand Final against Whitehaven on Sunday.

But late tries from Ricki Sheriffe and Andy Kirk put them under the sort of pressure that could easily have made them buckle as they were left hanging on grimly for the last seven minutes.

This was a recurring nightmare for Castleford after last week's late defeat by Whitehaven.

"All our supporters were thinking 'here we go again'," said the Cas coach, Dave Woods. "In the last few minutes I was just hoping and praying we could hang on and we did."

This was not a performance to fill Castleford's fans with confidence for the final. They took the lead with two penalties from Richard Fletcher, although Sheriffe and Dean Lawford went close for Halifax.

The visitors got on to the scoreboard through Pat Weisner's kick but Cas claimed the game's first try when Brad Davis darted for the line. The defence managed to stop him but was then slow to react when Michael Platt found a gap on the next tackle. Steve Crouch converted.

Halifax should have narrowed the gap before half-time when their former Castleford full-back, Damian Gibson, made a clean break but threw the ball into touch.

David Larder had a try disallowed at the start of the second half and Halifax seemed to have had their chance when Cas moved the ball crisply to the right for Damien Blanch to score in the corner.

Handforth made it into a 13-point lead, which looked enough until Lawford released Gibson, who kicked ahead for Sheriffe to touch down. Weisner added the goal and five minutes later threw the long pass that allowed Kirk to slide in.

This time Jamie Bloem hit the post with his conversion. The home crowd and players were wilting, but Cas held on.

"We waited too long for our cameo,'' said Halifax's coach Anthony Farrell. "I'm proud of what the boys have achieved this year. We have failed at the last hurdle but we've got a lot of good memories to look back on.''

Castleford: Platt; Pryce, Eagar, Hepworth, Blanch; Davis, Henderson; A Watene, A Smith, Fletcher, Haughey, Crouch, Bird. Substitutes used: Handforth, B Smith, Vowles, F Watene.

Halifax: Gibson; Haley, Kirk, Blackwood, Sheriffe; Lawford, Black; Hobson, Fisher, Boults, Larder, Ball, Weisner. Substitutes used: Bloem, Spink, McDonald, Birchall.

Referee: K Kirkpatrick (Warrington).

Evergreen Australian half-back Brad Davis produced a vintage performance to end his 15-year career on a high by guiding Castleford back to the engage Super League.

The 37-year-old Davis scored two interception tries and helped set up four others as Whitehaven experienced defeat in the LHF National League One Grand Final for the second year in a row.

The Cumbrians were beaten in extra time by Leigh a year ago but this time they were never in the hunt as the Tigers, relegated for the first time in their history a year ago, bounced back at the first attempt.

Davis bossed the show in front of a capacity 13,300 crowd at the Halton Stadium, Widnes, rightly winning the man-of-the-match award, to bring down the curtain on his wonderful career in fairytale fashion.

The Tigers scored three tries in a six-minute spell midway through the first half to take a firm grip on the game as the Cumbrians were made to pay for their lack of discipline.

Whitehaven, who had 13 survivors from last year's heartbreaker, were twice punished for high tackles on Davis, while hooker Carl Sice was placed on report for an alleged bite on the battered but unbowed Aussie.

Loose forward Aaron Lester got off with a lecture while stand-off Leroy Joe was fortunate to be shown a yellow and not a red card for an even more blatant shot on the 37-year-old Davis.

Even so, the Cumbrians were punished by the boot of prop Richard Fletcher, who kicked both penalties to give his side the encouragement of a 4-0 lead, and they conceded two tries while down to 12 men.

Substitute front-rower Craig Huby crashed over from Davis' short pass with his first touch of the ball after 24 minutes and the stand-off was also involved in the second try, with second-rower Steven Crouch taking an inside ball from Deon Bird to finish off a well worked move.

Whitehaven had recovered from 18-0 down to beat Castleford in their qualifying semi-final a fortnight earlier, but their task was made impossible this time when the Tigers scored two more tries before half-time.

Even Joe's return from the sin bin failed to tighten the shaky Cumbrian defence as Davis continued to tease and torment them at will.

Winger Damien Blanch collected his high kick at the corner to touch down and then Davis scored a fourth try, swooping on a pass by his opposite number Joel Penny to race 40 metres for an interception score, to which Huby added a third conversion.

It was a similar pattern in the second half, with Davis scoring his second interception try after 43 minutes, this time snaffling Spencer Miller's careless pass 30 metres out, and then combining with impressive full-back Michael Platt to get second-rower Tommy Haughey over for the Tigers' sixth try.

Whitehaven were routed but at least they were spared the humiliation of a whitewash when veteran centre David Seeds and winger Craig Calvert grabbed late consolation tries.

Veteran half-back Brad Davis hung up his boots tonight with his mission accomplished after guiding Castleford back into Super League.

The little Australian, at 37 the oldest player in the game, brought the curtain down on his 15-year career in style with a man-of-the-match performance in the Tigers' 36-8 victory over Whitehaven in the LHF National League One Grand Final at Widnes.

The former Huddersfield, York and Wakefield stand-off scored two interception tries and had a hand in all four other scores as Castleford condemned the Cumbrians to a second successive Grand Final defeat.

"You couldn't have scripted it any better," admitted Davis. "I was really nervous beforehand, realising it was my last 80 minutes.

"I started the season with one goal in mind which was to get Castleford back into Super League so it's mission accomplished and I can ride off into the sunset. There is no better way to finish."

The one-man show was all the more remarkable for the way Davis recovered from two early head-high tackles while he also complained to referee Steve Ganson about being bitten on the wrist late in the first half.

Whitehaven captain Aaron Lester got off with a lecture for a high shot while stand-off Leroy Joe was fortunate to be shown a yellow and not a red card for an even more blatant late tackle, while hooker Carl Sice was placed on report for an alleged bite on the battered but unbowed Aussie.

"You expect the playmakers to cop a bit of attention but I also got some fantastic protection from my guys," said Davis.

"But there is no need for biting in the game. I brought it to the attention of the referee and I am sure, if the authorities can see it close up on TV, they will see him trying to take a chunk out of my arm."

Castleford coach Dave Woods, who has steered the Tigers to success in his first season at the Jungle, led the tributes to his on-field general.

"He's not bad for an old fella," he said. "I told him it would be his game. He's a big-game player and he's been doing it all year. I'm really proud of the the boys because they've done all the hard work."

Davis, who has coached Castleford's Under-21s this year, hopes to join the club's full-time backroom staff while Woods must also wait to discover if he has a future at the club.

"Nothing has been said so far," said Australian Woods. "I think I've done a pretty reasonable job this year and I'd love to stay. It's a matter for the board to decide who is the best person for the job."

Whitehaven were beaten in extra time by Leigh a year ago but this time they were never in the hunt and were 36-0 down before threequarters David Seeds and Craig Calvert scored their only tries.

Coach Steve McCormack, the National League coach for the last two seasons, has been linked with the vacancy at relegated Super League club Widnes but he refused to divert his attention from his present job.

"I can't knock the players' efforts," he said. "They've been great all year and what the club has achieved on and off the field over the last two years is fantastic.

"Today's result is disappointing. We were starved of the ball early on and, when we got the ball, we didn't do anything with it. But I must commend Castleford for the way they played.

"There were a few positives in the second half. I thought Carl Rudd went well and they never let their heads drop which could easily have happened."

Veteran half-back Brad Davis helped Castleford reclaim their place in the engage Super League with a fairytale performance in a one-sided National League Grand Final and insisted he was retired for good this time.

The little Australian maestro returned to the Tigers just over a year ago in a vain attempt to keep them in the top flight and, after the club suffered relegation for the first time in their 70-year history, vowed to help them back up before hanging up his boots.

It was mission accomplished when the 37-year-old Davis inspired them to a 36-8 victory over Whitehaven in front of a capacity 13,300 crowd at Widnes.

He was easily the best player on the pitch but he was adamant there would be no Super League swansong.

"I would have to have a screw loose and I like to think of myself as a highly intelligent human being," said Davis, who began his English career with Nottingham 13 years ago.

"I am happy with what I have achieved in the game. This has been the ultimate highlight. I don't think there's any better way to bow out.

"Without doubt this was the most important game I have played. The club deserved to be back in Super League. It's important for the young guys coming through at Castleford and I am ecstatic for the boys.

"Now I would like to develop my coaching. I will have a chat with the club and see what direction they want to take."

Davis scored two interception tries and helped set up others for Craig Huby, Jonny Hepworth, Tommy Haughey and Steven Crouch in addition to teasing and tormenting the Cumbrians with his tactical kicking.

"He directed them and his kicking game was superb," acknowledged Whitehaven coach Steve McCormack. "He kept pinning us back. He's had a great season."

The Cumbrians were punished for their indiscipline, with Richard Fletcher kicking the Tigers into a 4-0 lead and Davis crafting two tries while his opponents were down to 12 men.

Whitehaven had recovered an 18-0 deficit to beat Castleford in their qualifying semi-final but there was no way back this time as they experienced Grand Final defeat for the second year in a row.

McCormack is unlikely to be around to make a third attempt as he emerged as favourite to fill the coaching vacancy at relegated Super League club Widnes.

The former Salford boss refused to clarify the speculation, adding: "I want to get over this game first."

Like Davis, Castleford head coach Dave Woods must wait to see if he has a role to play in Super League but skipper Andy Henderson revealed afterwards he has signed a contract for 2006.

That will bring him face to face with younger brothers Ian, the Bradford hooker who has played a key role in the Bulls' run to Saturday's Grand Final, and centre or second rower Kevin, who has landed a new contract with Castleford's neighbours Wakefield.

"I have signed for the club for next year in Super League and I am very proud to go up," said Henderson. "I am glad the club have shown the faith by keeping me on for next season.

"I am really excited about the opportunity to play in Super League and obviously to play against my brothers."