Second half hat-tricks from Luke Gale and Joel Monaghan powered Castleford Tigers to a thumping 52-16 victory over Huddersfield Giants at the Mend-a-Hose Jungle tonight.
The Giants, playing without the suspended halfback Danny Brough, scored the first try of the game through skipper Ryan Hinchcliffe early on.
The Tigers replied with three first-half tries from Ben Roberts, Jake Webster and Mike McMeeken, with Gale converting two of them for a 16-4 interval lead.
After the break the Tigers cut loose with seven more tries, including three each from Gale and Monaghan, with one from hooker Adam Milner.
The Giants responded with tries from halfbacks Ryan Brierley and Lee Gaskell, but it was the Tigers’ night and a great night for current Albert Goldthorpe Medal winner Gale, who has now scored 101 career tries.
Tigers: 1 Zak Hardaker, 21 Joel Monaghan, 3 Jake Webster, 4 Michael Shenton (C), 5 Greg Eden, 16 Ben Roberts, 7 Luke Gale, 15 Jesse Sene-Lefao, 9 Paul McShane,17 Junior Moors, 10 Grant Millington, 12 Mike McMeeken, 13 Adam Milner, Subs (all used), 16 Matt Cook, 6 Rangi Chase, 11 Oliver Holmes, 19 Gadwin Springer.
Giants: 24 Darnell McIntosh, 2 Jermaine McGillvary, 3 Leroy Cudjoe (C), 30 Alex Mellor, 21 Gene Ormsby, 4 Lee Gaskell, 7 Ryan Brierley, 15 Sebastine Ikahihifo, 9 Ryan Hinchcliffe, 10 Shannon Wakeman, 12 Dale Ferguson, 17 Ukuma Ta’ai, 18 Paul Clough, Subs (all used), 8 Sam Rapira, 14 Kruise Leeming, 20 Daniel Smith, 22 Tyler Dickinson.
A full match report and photos from this game will feature in Monday’s edition of League Express
