Castleford Beat Giants For Very First Super League Win

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Castleford Tigers (16) 34


Tries: Hood, McIntosh, Lawler, Weaver 2, Goals: Weaver 5


Huddersfield Giants (4) 8


Tries: Gagai, Flanagan


Ashton Golding scored on his Castleford debut against previous club Huddersfield Giants to complete Tigers' very first Super League win of the season.


Tries from Liam Hood, Darnell McIntosh and George Lawler had Tigers travelling inside the opening 30 minutes, however Jacob Gagai pulled one back right before the break to make it 16-4.


Tom Weaver then grabbed 2 essential second-half shots, either side of George Flanagan's four-pointer, to put Tigers on the method to sealing a very first league win under head coach Ryan Carr.


The most significant celebration of the night was reserved for Golding, as he crossed for an unforgettable first try for his brand-new club versus the side he left after five years at the end of last season.


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The early season kind and misery of the West Yorkshire competitors had actually mirrored one another before their meeting at the OneBore Stadium. Both had actually been winless, meaningless and struck by injuries.


Captain Alex Mellor ended up being the newest Tiger to be sidelined after he broke his leg in last week's defeat at Toulouse, while Giants lacked a host of injured regulars themselves, including Liam Sutcliff, Joe Greenwood and Harry Rushton because of lengthy lay-offs.


France international Tanguy Zenon started for injury-hit Huddersfield just two days after signing up with the club, while there were Tigers debuts for Wigan loanee George Hirst and former Giants pair Jack Ashworth and Golding.


Hood provided the hosts the ideal start, darting from dummy-half to get his 2nd shot of the season after Joe Stimson was lowered near the line.


Castleford got a been worthy of second through McIntosh, who rushed through a tired out Giants defence that had been pinned back on their line after Taane Milne gave away a reckless penalty for his high hit on Krystian Mapapalangi.


Milne remained in the sin-bin when Lawler crashed over under the posts for Castleford's 3rd try in the 26th minute, but after that it was Huddersfield who finished the half stronger, with Zenon denied by a try-saving take on from Mikaele Ravalawa before Gagai eventually responded with a 38th-minute score.


Huddersfield continued to threaten but were inefficient in search of a way back into the video game before Weaver got on completion of a remarkably weighted grubber kick from Daejarn Asi to edge Castleford 18 points ahead.


Flanagan gave Giants restored hope when he countered not long after, but a 2nd from Weaver put the result beyond doubt before Golding crashed over to stimulate wild celebrations.


'We play for this winning sensation' - reaction


Castleford Tigers head coach Ryan Carr told BBC Radio Leeds:


"That's what we play for, we play to win and bet this sensation today.


"I'm actually pleased for my group and actually pleased for everybody associated with our club because a great deal of work has actually gone into getting to this point. And there will continue to be a lot more work.


"But to be able to see them with a smile on their faces, with all the tough work they have actually done because day one of pre-season, is satisfying.


"But it is one win, we need to keep making sure we carry out consistently every week now."


"I thought we were rubbish, as plain and easy as that.


"We just robbed ourselves of energy with the amont of dropped balls that we had in that first half. The lads tried hard, but they were exhausted.


"I believe they completed 100% [of their sets] in the second half, and we finished around 60-odd. If you simply offer the opposition the ball over and over once again, you are going to get the exact same result.


"Eventually it simply robs you of energy and you are generally playing on fumes.


"Look, they are running around, scrambling and trying their hardest but eventually it simply returns to bite you. We simply need to find out and need to learn quick."


Castleford Tigers: Cini, Ravalawa, Mapapalangi, McIntosh, Qaraqare, Asi, Weaver, Atoni, Hood, Westerman, Lane, Hirst, Stimson.


Replacements: Lawler, Ashworth, Hall, Golding.


Huddersfield Giants: Patolo, Woolford, Rogers, O'Donnell, Billington, Powell, Russell, Lolohea, Halsall, Milne, Gagai, Zenon, Flanagan.


Replacements: Burgess, King, Rush, English.


Referee: Matty Lynn.