WIGAN WARRIORS thrashed Castleford Tigers in a routine Challenge Cup quarter-final win.
Wigan started the brighter of the two sides, Liam Marshall finishing well in the corner on the last tackle after just four minutes. Harry Smith couldn’t convert as the visitors led 4-0.
It was two tries in two minutes for the Warriors as Brad O’Neill carved his way through some soft tackling before offloading to Adam Keighran who returned the favour. Smith was on target this time for a 10-0 lead after just six minutes.
Bevan French stole the ball from Jack Broadbent one-on-one as the latter tried to run out of defence to effectively seal the game after just 13 minutes. Smith converted to make it 16-0.
Marshall went in for his second moments later with Jake Wardle sprinting 70 metres down the touchline before passing inside to the former who streaked home. Smith made it 22-0 with the boot.
Keighran was next on the scoresheet after taking a Jai Field pass on halfway, with the only blot on Wigan’s copybook a serious-looking injury to forward Willie Isa who had to be stretchered off with oxygen.
The Tigers did finally register a score just after the half-hour, Broadbent’s grubber sitting up for Innes Senior in the corner. Danny Richardson’s conversion hit the post and ricocheted in as Castleford trailed 28-6 at the break.
Half-time: Castleford 6-28 Wigan
Wigan began the second-half in exact same fashion as the first, crossing almost instantly as Abbas Miski ran in after the Warriors created an overlap. Smith missed the conversion as Wigan led 32-6.
Kruise Leeming was on the end of a Junior Nsemba break moments later before Marshall notched his hat-trick in the space of two minutes.
42-6 down, things got worse for Castleford on the hour with Marshall getting his fourth off a lovely French pass. Wardle was the next on the scoresheet on 66 minutes as Smith couldn’t convert either.
The Warriors were now 50-up and that score inflated further when Miski took advantage of another overlap before Smith fooled the entire Tigers defence with a dummy before offloading inside to Tyler Dupree. This time Smith added the extras to make it 60-6.
Castleford Tigers
3 Jack Broadbent – 3
18 Josh Hodson – 2
22 Charbel Tasipale – 3
4 Sam Wood – 5
5 Innes Senior – 5
6 Danny Richardson – 4
7 Jacob Miller – 3
30 Luis Johnson – 3
14 Liam Horne – 4
26 Samy Kibula – 3
12 Alex Mellor – 4
11 Elie El-Zakhem – 4
13 Joe Westerman – 5
Substitutes
21 Sylvester Namo – 5
24 Cain Robb – 4
25 Brad Martin – 4
32 Daniel Hindmarsh-Takyi – 3
Tries: Senior (33)
Goals: Richardson 1/1
Wigan Warriors
1 Jai Field – 7
2 Abbas Miski – 8
3 Adam Keighran – 6
4 Jake Wardle – 9
5 Liam Marshall – 9
6 Bevan French – 8
7 Harry Smith – 8
16 Luke Thompson – 7
9 Brad O’Neill – 8
19 Tyler Dupree – 8
11 Willie Isa – N/A
12 Liam Farrell – 8
13 Kaide Ellis – 7
Substitutes
15 Patrick Mago – 9
17 Kruise Leeming – 7
20 Harvie Hill – 7
21 Junior Nsemba – 9
Tries: Marshall (4, 19, 50, 58), O’Neill (6), French (13), Keighran (23), Miski (44, 69), Leeming (48), Wardle (66), Dupree (78)
Goals: Smith 6/12
Click here to purchase a digital edition of League Express.
Click here to purchase an online edition of League Express through pocketmags.com.
Click here to listen to our new League Express Podcast.
League Express is widely available from local newsagents across the north of England.
