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By Ian Laybourn, PA Sport One-time Castleford favourite Chris Smith destroyed his former club with a hat-trick of tries as Super League leaders St Helens re-discovered their table-topping form. Question marks arose over Saints' ability to sustain their championship challenge when they lost their 100% record at Wakefield last Friday but Ellery Hanley's men bounced back in style to re-establish a three-point lead over second-placed Bradford Bulls. Right winger Smith, chosen in the starting line-up ahead of crowd favourite Fereti Tuilagi, repaid his coach's faith with a two-try blast inside the first 12 minutes and completed his hat-trick early in the second half following a sensational 60-metre break by Tuilagi. But Smith, a £60,000 signing from the Tigers two years ago, would be the first to give much of the credit for his opening tries to the forceful play of his centre partner Kevin Iro. The powerful New Zealander, who missed his team's previous three matches with an ankle injury, showed the Saints fans what they had been missing with some devastating running. Left centre Paul Newlove, too, created havoc with his determined running to profit with two tries as Saints ripped huge holes in the fragile Tigers defence. Saints' blockbusting centre play, allied to the trickery of half-backs Tommy Martyn and Sean Long, proved too much for the Tigers, who had the second best defence in Super League before tonight. Saints were 14-0 up after 22 minutes, with Long adding a third try and landing one conversion and, although Castleford pulled four points back six minutes before the break when right winger Darren Rogers finished off a sweeping five-man handling move, it merely delayed the inevitable. Tuilagi, playing in the forwards after coming on in the first half for Vila Matautia, showed his strength by breaking clean through the Castleford line and raced 60 metres before unselfishly sending Smith in for the try that completed his hat-trick. Long's goal made it 20-4 but Castleford gave themselves a glimmer of hope when Brad Davis, having returned along with Saints' Paul Atcheson from a spell in the sin bin for a professional foul, re-gathered his kick to score a second try, which substitute Ian Tonks goaled. However, St Helens made the game safe on 54 minutes later when Newlove got into his impressive stride and left a trail of defenders in his wake as he touched down and then raced away for a 70-metre special after Cas skipper Adrian Vowles had lost the ball on attack. Winger Richard Gay grabbed a consolation effort seven minutes from the end but Saints had the final say when Martyn finished off the scoring with a drop goal. By Chris Shaw, PA Sport Castleford and Leeds served up a thrilling derby clash which produced bags of guts, plenty of talking points and, in the end, a fair result. In front of the highest-ever Super League crowd at Wheldon Road, the Tigers outscored Leeds by two tries to one but never really made their supremacy tell as the lead changed hands four times. At the end of a frenetic 80 minutes referee Stuart Cummings received stick from both sets of fans but the applause for the players was more deserved. Leeds had found Castleford in typically determined mood from the off. It was the forwards who dominated throughout, but particularly in the early exchanges when neither side gave an inch. Danny Orr put the first points on the board with a penalty after 13 minutes. But Leeds were the first to provide any cutting edge in the attack and when they did it resulted in a try. Good work by blood-bin substitute Andy Hay presented an opening from which Ryan Sheridan and Adian Morley combined to send hooker Lee Jackson in. Castleford responded by raising the tempo and deservedly went in front with a well-worked try 12 minutes before the break. Brad Davis, who had been gaining in influence, linked up with Orr to set up winger Jon Wells for a straightforward run to the line. Orr added the conversion to give Castleford an 8-6 lead at half-time. The first half had been full of effort and desire from both sides, but the tempo of the game dropped only slightly after the break. Two moments of ill-discipline by Castleford gave Iestyn Harris relatively easy penalty opportunities which he duly took to restore Leeds' advantage. But the Tigers sprang a surprise when Mike Eagar burst through the Leeds defence to dive in at the left-hand corner. The former Warrington man's 11th try of the season was only awarded after a lengthy consultation with the referee. The boot of Harris gave Leeds four penalties on the night, but it was two he missed after the Castleford try which proved to be expensive. However, crucially there were missed opportunities at the other end with Davis failing with a drop goal conversion. But the most thrilling incident of an action-packed match came during the second half when Castleford's Darren Rogers intercepted a Harris pass and ran from his own 10-metre line. A try looked on the cards until Rogers was foiled by a last ditch tackle by Leroy Rivett. In the resulting melee Sheridan was pulled up for a professional foul at the play the ball and was sin-binned. But Castleford's one-man advantage did not last long as moments later Davis was given the same punishment for a similar offence. In the desperate final moments both sides went hell for leather for the decisive score. With the crowd in frenzy, Orr was flattened by Marvin Golden, but more worryingly Davis had to be stretchered off with his neck in a brace after an off-the-ball incident. Referee Cummings placed the matter on report. But happily the injury did not look as bad as it first appeared with Davis sustaining facial bruising. © PA Sporting Life Wakefield skipper Tony Kemp put one over on his old club Castleford with a match-winning drop goal four minutes from time. Kemp was the villain on the opening day of the season when his poor discipline helped the Tigers to a 12-10 win. But his one-pointer more than made amends and gained the Super League newcomers their fourth straight win in the elite competition. Wakefield-born prop Dean Sampson put the Tigers back on track with a bulldozing try on 50 minutes, converted by Danny Orr. And former Wakefield player Brad Davis was denied an equaliser when referee Robert Connolly blew for time a split second before the player's drop goal split the uprights. Two first half tries by hooker David March, the first converted by Adam Hughes, in response to Lee Harland's third-minute touchdown, had given the Wildcats a 10-4 half-time advantage. Wakefield coach Andy Kelly praised both teams performances and confessed that he thought his players had blown it. Castleford boss Stuart Raper was more scathing. "I though we were by far the better side," he said. "Danny Orr was constantly taken out. I was very unhappy with what went on out there, and will be taking another look at the incidents on tape." © PA Sporting Life Castleford stepped up their bid for a Super League play-off place by ending Warrington's recent revival. Centre Francis Maloney marked his return from injury with three tries as the Tigers moved above Warrington into fifth place in the ladder. Stand-off Danny Orr and winger Richard Gay were also key figures as Castleford wrecked Warrington's hopes of a third straight win and made it an unhappy return to Wheldon Road for former Tigers boss Darryl Van de Velde, now the Wolves coach. Orr scored the first of Castleford's seven tries and landed five goals while Gay collected two first-half touchdowns as they stormed into a 25-0 interval lead. Castleford made a dream start with two tries in the opening six minutes. Brad Hepi's 45-yard run set up the first for Orr and Brad Davis's kick then created the first of Gay's two touchdowns. Warrington were soon on the receiving end again when cross-field passing by Davis, Orr and Maloney put Gay in for his second after 24 minutes. Five minutes before half-time Dean Sampson, Nathan Sykes and Gareth Dobson opened up the Wolves defence and the final pass was deflected off Warrington's Lee Penney for Maloney to collect his first score. Orr's fourth goal and a drop goal Davis gave the Tigers a commanding half-time lead. Warrington looked more threatening in the second half and Jason Flowers denied Dean Hanger with a try-saving tackle before Wolves centre Toa Kohe-Love was placed on report for a high tackle on Castleford's Mike Eagar. Lee Briers then sent New Zealander Kohe-Love in for his 17th try of the season which Briers converted but Castleford quickly regained control. Sampson put Maloney in for his second and Orr and Maloney made the gap for substitute Danny Ellison to score. Maloney's third try 10 minutes from time completed Castleford's biggest win of the season. By Steven Baker, PA Sport Halifax sorely missed departed duo Gavin Clinch and Chris Chester as Castleford leapfrogged Wigan and moved up to fourth in Super League. The cash-strapped Blue Sox, who have sold half-backs Clinch and Chester to Wigan as they look to alleviate debts of £750,000, had no answer to classy Cas at The New Shay. John Pendlebury's men have been linked with legendary Australian scrum-half Allan Langer, who retired earlier this season, but it is hard to see how they could afford the Brisbane great. Richard Marshall could be following Clinch and Chester out of the club for financial reasons - Warrington are said to be waiting to snap up the forward - and the skies are far from blue for Halifax, who finished third in the table last season. But while they got no reward for their hard work this evening, Tigers stand-off Danny Orr again enhanced his growing reputation with a splendid display, setting up one try, scoring another and kicking four conversions - including two from the touchline. Halifax, who started with Daryl Cardiss and Graham Holroyd at half-back this evening, were unable to break through Castleford's rock-solid defence as they attempted to mount a fightback in the second half. By then they were already two scores down, Jason Flowers having been sent over by the talented Orr on 12 minutes after he had escaped the clutches of Danny Fearon. The 21-year-old Orr, who converted that try, then added the extras to his own touchdown in the 25th minute, dancing past Damian Gibson following good work by Flowers. Nick Pinkney was foiled by a touch judge's flag as the official ruled he had stepped out of play before crossing, while after the interval Martin Moana and Holroyd were both held up just short. But Cas were always threatening when they had possession and they effectively secured the two points on 57 minutes when Danny Ellison crashed over in the corner after Gael Tallec and Richard Gay had combined down the left. Orr's conversion went over via the crossbar to rub salt into Halifax wounds, and the Blue Sox were down and almost out. The final nail was hammered into their coffin eight minutes from time, Des Clark dropping the ball less than 10 metres from the Cas line before Darren Rogers galloped upfield and his pass allowed Jon Wells to touch down. Orr again kicked the goal to give him a personal haul of 12 points and Halifax were left to reflect on their fifth defeat out of six. |
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