CASTLEFORD TIGERS 14 LEIGH LEOPARDS 24
CALLUM WALKER, OneBore Stadium, Friday

ADAM COOK had his best game in a Leigh shirt as the Leopards, buoyed by several controversial decisions in their favour, ended Castleford’s two-match winning run.

The Leopards sat just two points ahead of the Tigers before kick-off, with Louis Senior taking the place of the suspended Semi Valemei in the only change for Castleford from the side that beat St Helens.

It was all change for Leigh, with Umyla Hanley and AJ Towse out injured as Bailey Hodgson and Jack Hughes came into the centre with Innes Senior on the wing. Robbie Mulhern also returned for Ryan Brown.

Despite the scoreline, it was the Tigers that started brighter. After winning a Captain’s Challenge on just the second tackle when Jason Qareqare had the ball stolen, the Fijian flyer dotted down moments later for a stellar Castleford opening. Tom Weaver converted expertly out wide for a 6-0 lead.

Leigh were self-imploding as Cook sent the restart out on the full, but Tyler Dupree knocked on in contact.

A period of parity ensued before Mulhern went close after Jacob Alick-Wiencke had plucked a Cook bomb out of the air.

Weaver kept the scoreboard ticking over with a penalty following a late hit before the Leopards struck from a controversial Moore decision.

Qareqare broke through after collecting a Cook kick, but Moore somehow adjudged obstruction as Alick-Wiencke crossed in the next set. Cook’s conversion was superb to reduce the deficit to 8-6 as the clock hit 23 minutes.

Another Leigh penalty yielded another score, this time Innes Senior finishing in the corner after a great cut-out Lachlan Lam pass. Cook again converted for a 12-8 lead.

The Tigers finally managed to wrestle the momentum back as time ticked down in the first-half, but steely Leopards defence kept them at bay until the hooter.

It was Moore that took centre stage immediately following the resumption too, failing to see a Jack Hughes elbow on Krystian Mapapalangi before claiming Brock Greacen had took David Armstrong round the head.

From that penalty, the visitors struck again with an overlap seeing the aforementioned Hughes dot down. Cook was again perfect to make it 18-8.

Zac Cini was denied on 55 minutes after he jumped highest to a Weaver kick but the same couldn’t be said of George Lawler when Asi’s kick was palmed back by Cini into the forward’s hands on his 100th appearance for Castleford. Weaver converted to bring the Tigers back to within four at 18-14.

Armstrong couldn’t deal with some of Castleford’s kicking as the fullback lost another, only to be saved by Innes Senior.

But, after a number of near-misses, it was a stroke of luck that broke the Tigers’ hearts. Asi fumbled a pass right into the path of Cook who hacked on and cantered over from 30 metres. Cook himself converted for a 24-14 lead with 14 minutes to go.

And, try as they might, there was just no way back for Ryan Carr’s side who, on another day, could well have secured the two points.

GAMESTAR: Jason Qareqare once more showed his class with the ball, finishing one try superbly.

GAMEBREAKER: Liam Moore’s inexplicable obstruction decision when Castleford were 8-0 up handed Leigh the momentum – which they never relinquished.

HIGHLIGHT REEL: Adam Cook grabbing a deserved try late on.

ALBERT GOLDTHORPE POINTS
3 pts Jason Qareqare (Castleford)
2 pts Adam Cook (Leigh)
1 pt Joe Ofahengaue (Leigh)

MATCHFACTS

TIGERS
35 Phoenix Laulu-Togaga’e
21 Louis Senior
3 Zac Cini
23 Krystian Mapapalangi
22 Jason Qareqare
6 Daejarn Asi
7 Tom Weaver
13 Joe Stimson
31 Ashton Golding
36 Tyler Dupree
11 Jordan Lane
12 Alex Mellor
10 George Lawler
Subs (all used)
8 Renouf Atoni
14 Brock Greacen
25 Sam Hall
27 Cain Robb
18th man (not used)
15 Jack Ashworth
Also in 21-man squad
4 Darnell McIntosh
24 Jenson Windley
– Jack Brown

Tries: Qareqare (2), Lawler (57)
Goals: Weaver 3/3

LEOPARDS
1 David Armstrong
19 Innes Senior
18 Bailey Hodgson
22 Jack Hughes
5 Josh Charnley
6 Adam Cook
7 Lachlan Lam
8 Joe Ofahengaue
9 Edwin Ipape
10 Robbie Mulhern
11 Frankie Halton
15 Jacob Alick-Wiencke
13 Isaac Liu
Subs (all used)
14 Aaron Pene
17 Liam Horne
21 Gareth O’Brien
25 Louis Brogan
18th man (not used)
16 Matt Davis
Also in 19-man squad
28 Ryan Brown

Tries: Alick-Wiencke (22), Senior (27), Hughes (44), Cook (67)
Goals: Cook 4/4

SCORING SEQUENCE: 6-0, 8-0, 8-6, 8-12; 8-18, 14-18, 14-24

Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Tigers: Jason Qareqare; Leopards: Adam Cook

Penalty count: 2-4
Half time: 8-12
Referee: Liam Moore
Attendance: 7,742