Castleford Tigers Supporters Club

The Tigers started their Easter games in disappointing fashion suffering a heavy, Good Friday, defeat at the hands of local rivals Wakefield Wildcats in front of a packed house at The Jungle.

In front of a crowd of over 10,000 Terry Matterson's men saved their worst performance of the season allowing the Wildcats' fans to hold local bragging rights.

With Ryan McGoldrick starting a 2 match ban Richard Owen was switched to full back with Michael Wainwright taking Owen's wing spot. Skipper Ryan Hudson was recalled but hard working 2nd row pair Brett Ferres and Stuart Jones were still missing meaning Craig Huby starting in the back 3 with Soine Faumuina and Joe Westerman whilst Nathan Massey started at prop.

Kirk Dixon missed with a long range penalty goal attempt with only 3 minutes on the clock but it was the visitors who started to force the pace as they set camp in the Tigers 20 metre area forcing 2 goal line drop outs in 4 minutes. First Wainwright was forced to kick Jason Demetriou's grubber dead, Owen was tackled in goal fielding Danny Brough's kick through and a Brough bomb was diffused by Wainwright.

Cas forced their way back into the game with Brent Sherwin's high kick was knocked on by full back Matt Blaymire under pressure from Michael Shenton. As the ball was moved to the Tigers left Brough intercepted a Sherwin pass to relieve the danger.

Dean Widders and Faumuina then went close before Widders combined with Shenton who saw his attempted pass to Wainwright go into touch with the tryline open.

James Evans was penalised for a high tackle and from the resulting set, Tony Martin crossed for the opening score. Brough added the extras to give the Wildcats the lead.

Cas thought they had hit back when Rangi Chase's kick bounced around, Sherwin picked up and dived over but the score was disallowed as referee Phil Bentham had seen a knock on.

Kevin Henderson appeared to knock on at a play the ball but Chase was adjudged to have interfered and a penalty was awarded. Brough missed with the penalty attemp but was on target on the stroke of half time after Bentham again ruled interference at the play the ball to give the visitors an 8 point lead at the interval.

The lead was increased 10 minutes after the break when Ryan Atkins forced his way over from close range after good work from Brough. The former Cas scrum half also added the conversion to extend the lead further.

Cas hit back and kicks by Sherwin and Chase forced drop outs before another Sherwin kick saw Westerman follow up to score. Dixon's conversion reduced the deficit but any chance of a Tigers comeback was soon squashed Martin kicked a penalty goal and then 2 tries in 3 minutes killed the game off.

First Blaymire was quickest to react when a Brad Drew kick ricocheted of the posts then Danny Sculthorpe kicked through for Sean Gleeson to score. Martin converted both scores. Brough dropped a goal before Atkins grabbed a 2nd try which Brough again converted to give a final score of Cas 6 Wakefield 35.

With a game on Easter Monday,Matterson will be looking for a positive reaction to this defeat. A trip to Warrington is never easy but Cas will be looking to get back on track and should be boosted by a large away following. Hopefully Jones and Ferres will be back in the side but the improving Widders will be missing with a calf injury, Ryan Boyle taking his place in the 19 man squad.

Tigers: Owen, Dixon, Evans, Shenton, Wainwright, Chase, Sherwin, Sargent, Hudson, Massey, Huby, Faumuina, Westerman. Subs: Feather, Widders, Netherton, Higgins.

Wildcats: Blaymire, Blanch, Gleeson, Atkins, Murphy, Martin, Brough, Wilkes, Obst, Snitch, Pitts, Ferguson, Demetriou. Subs: Bibb, Sculthorpe, Drew, Henderson

Referee: Phil Bentham                     Attendance: 10,155

Normytigers Man of the Match

1st Craig Huby 3 points

2nd Mitchell Sargent 2 points

3rd Richard Owen 1 point