CASTLEFORD TIGERS 10 HULL FC 16
CALLUM WALKER, Mend-A-Hose Jungle, Saturday
HULL FC spoiled Joe Westerman’s testimonial party in a spirited first hit-out of 2025.
Jed Cartwright and Jack Ashworth made some heavy dents off the bench, but it was Herman Ese’ese that stole the show with some rampaging runs and brilliant offloads to make it two defeats from two for Castleford in pre-season.
With Jason Qareqare injured, Josh Simm started on the wing for Castleford whilst the likes of Zak Hardaker, Jordan Rapana and Aidan Sezer made their debuts for Hull.
The hosts started stronger with Tex Hoy making a break in the Tigers’ first set before Daejarn Asi went close.
Danny McGuire’s men were on the front foot, however, and they went out into a 6-0 lead when Sam Wood fed Simm for a simple score following great work by Judah Rimbu on 13 minutes and Hoy converted.
Things went from bad to worse for FC as Ed Chamberlain limped off the field in pain, while Logan Moy and Asi collided nastily in mid-air moments later.
Both were fine to continue and it was the visitors that hit back around the midway point in the first half through a Rapana effort.
Hardaker somehow missed the conversion with Castleford still leading 6-4.
Referee Scott Mikalauskas pinged the Tigers for a third time in ten minutes in the next set as ill-discipline took over McGuire’s side, but this time the Black and Whites couldn’t take advantage of their second foray near the Tigers’ line.
Stern defence and their own penalty laid the platform for Castleford’s second try, with lovely hands from Asi and Hoy handing Innes Senior a clear run to the line. Hoy missed this time as the Tigers led 10-4 at half-time.
Hull boss John Cartwright made seven changes at the break as youngsters Ryan Westerman, Callum Kemp and Will Kirkby were some of those given game time.
However it was an old head – the coach’s son, Jed Cartwright – that forced his way over immediately after the resumption. Substitute Westerman added the extras to level the scores at 10-10.
Two more Hull penalties – their fifth and sixth of the game – saw the visitors take the lead for the first time with Amir Bourouh burrowing through slack goal-line defence. Westerman made it 16-10 after 47 minutes.
Shellshocked, the Tigers tried to muster a response but Wood knocked on as the line opened, with Simm unable to find his centre following a neat break.
Rimbu was denied his first Castleford try before Asi was penalised for dissent as some of Mikaulaskas’ decisions began to perplex.
Try as they might, the hosts just couldn’t make their pressure pay with Fletcher Rooney this time knocking on with the whitewash begging as time began to run out.
GAMESTAR: Herman Ese’ese was unstoppable at times for Hull.
GAMEBREAKER: Two Hull FC tries at the start of the second half proved too high a mountain for Castleford to climb.
MATCHFACTS
TIGERS
1 Tex Hoy
24 Josh Simm
3 Zac Cini
4 Sam Wood
5 Innes Senior
6 Daejarn Asi
14 Judah Rimbu
15 George Griffin
9 Liam Horne
10 George Lawler
11 Jeremiah Simbiken
12 Alex Mellor
13 Joe Westerman
Subs (all used)
8 Liam Watts
16 Cain Robb
17 Luke Hooley
20 Muizz Mustapha
21 Sylvester Namo
23 Fletcher Rooney
35 Dan Okoro
Tries: Simm (13), I Senior (29)
Goals: Hoy 1/2
HULL FC
23 Logan Moy
5 Tom Briscoe
3 Zak Hardaker
1 Jordan Rapana
2 Harvey Barron
14 Cade Cust
7 Aidan Sezer
8 Herman Ese’ese
9 Amir Bourouh
10 Ligi Sao
12 Jordan Lane
4 Ed Chamberlain
13 John Asiata
Subs (all used)
11 Jed Cartwright
17 Jack Ashworth
19 Brad Fash
21 Will Gardiner
22 Lewis Martin
25 Denive Balmforth
26 Zach Jebson
29 Ryan Westerman
30 Callum Kemp
31 Hugo Salabio
– Lennon Clark
– Will Hutchinson
– Lloyd Kemp
– Will Kirby
– Joe Ward
Tries: Rapana (20), Cartwright (42), Bourouh (47)
Goals: Hardaker 0/1, Westerman 2/2
SCORING SEQUENCE: 6-0, 6-4, 10-4; 10-10, 10-16
Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Tigers: Zac Cini; Hull FC: Herman Ese’ese
Penalty count: 5-8
Half-time: 10-4
Referee: Scott Mikalauskas
