Rugby League

Super League

Thursday 16th March 2023

Kick Off 20.00

Castleford Tigers 14 Leeds Rhinos 8, attendance 7,458

@ The Mend-A-Hose Jungle

Wheldon Road

Castleford

WF10 2SD

£25 Admission

Programme? Never saw any on sale

Having stayed overnight near Wakefield, it was the perfect opportunity to make my first visit back to Castleford since I saw them beat Hull Kingston Rovers 30-2 (att. 5,575) in a Division 1 match back on 20th January 1991. I never really appreciated at the time what a great ground this is. Although a little rough around the edges, it is a ground full of character and generates a decent atmosphere. It is three years short of celebrating its centenary and has a current capacity of 11,775, some way below the ground record of 25,449 that was here for a Challenge Cup match against Hunslet in 1935.

Castleford came into this second bottom in the league table, having lost all four games so far. Leeds were eighth, with two wins and two defeats. Castleford opened the scoring after seventeen minutes, when Bureta Faraimo went over in the corner, but Gareth Widdop was unable to add the extra two points as he sent the kick wide of the posts. Leeds levelled on 28 minutes through Richie Myler, with Rhyse Martin converting to make it 4-6. Widdop kicked a penalty to level it up at 6-6, before adding another penalty to give the visitors a 6-8 halftime lead. Just before the hour mark Faraimo scored his second try of the night, which Widdop then converted to put Tigers 12-8 in front. Nine minutes from time Widdop added another penalty as Castleford made it 14-6. Leeds pushed hard in the dying minutes as both Myler and Martin were held up within site of the line, before a knock on in the corner thwarted Leeds in what was to be the last chance of the game, giving Castleford a deserved first win of the season.