CASTLEFORD TIGERS 4 CATALANS DRAGONS 26
CALLUM WALKER, Mend-A-Hose Jungle, Saturday
SAM TOMKINS wound back the years with an accomplished and devastating performance as a dreadful Castleford capitulated under a French onslaught.
Tomkins scored a try, had a hand in several others and kicked five from six whilst the Tigers were left licking their wounds with error after error, denying Danny McGuire two home victories in a row.
Brad Singleton made his debut for the Tigers whilst Rowan Milnes made his first appearance of the season after recovering from injury. Fletcher Rooney’s blow meant Tex Hoy dropped to fullback with Jeremiah Simbiken returning from suspension.
Tariq Sims was out for Catalans, whilst the departure of Arthur Mourgue to Hull KR meant that youngster Guillermo Aispuro-Bichet started in the halves alongside Luke Keary.
Both sides had won just one Super League fixture going into this one and there was a lengthy period of feeling each other out as the rain began to pour down.
And it was a Castleford error that almost yielded the first points of the afternoon, Hoy losing the ball over his own goal-line with Keary almost pouncing.
Zac Cini went close for the Tigers before Reimis Smith knocked on a Keary grubber, but the Dragons had been knocking for a while and it was Tevita Pangai Jr that broke the deadlock in the 18th minute with a determined effort. Tomkins couldn’t convert, with the visitors leading 4-0.
Castleford would not have been happy with their defence on that occasion, and, after the kick-off went out on the full, Alrix Da Costa took advantage of appalling goal-line defence to scoot over. This time Tomkins converted to make it 10-0.
It was the Dragons’ turn to fumble the kick-off but Innes Senior was harshly punished for a double movement off the next tackle with Castleford losing their Captain’s Challenge in the process.
Tomkins continued to turn over the scoreboard with a penalty just past the half-hour as he was taken late and the Catalans fullback made it 14-0 at half-time when Oliver Partington was pushed after passing the ball.
The Tigers were making woeful errors across the board and it was a loose pass inside their opening ten metres that paved the way for Catalans’ third score.
Despite the attack appearing to end, a pinpoint Aispuro-Bichet dribble through found the onrushing Fouad Yaha who dived over in the corner. Tomkins converted superbly for a 20-0 lead.
By now Tomkins was playing in a dinner suit and his 40/20 saw the Dragons enjoy a period of sustained pressure which eventually resulted in the Catalans veteran skipping his way past three defenders.
It was a fine solo score from the 35-year-old and he added the extras to make it 26-0 on the hour.
Credit to Castleford, they didn’t give in and Senior slid over with twelve minutes to go, although Milnes’ wayward conversion still meant the hosts trailed by 22 at 26-4.
As it was, the Jungle’s mudbath prevented any further efforts as the Dragons firmly held out despite Tomkins being sent to the sin bin for persistent offending on the hooter.
GAMESTAR: Sam Tomkins had the ball on a shoestring.
GAMEBREAKER: Fouad Yaha’s effort just after half-time ensured Castleford had to score four times to win.
HIGHLIGHT REEL: Sam Tomkins wound back the years with a silky solo score.
ALBERT GOLDTHORPE POINTS
3 pts Sam Tomkins (Catalans)
2 pts Alrix Da Costa (Catalans)
1 pt Nick Cotric (Catalans)
MATCHFACTS
TIGERS
1 Tex Hoy
24 Josh Simm
3 Zac Cini
4 Sam Wood
5 Innes Senior
6 Daejarn Asi
7 Rowan Milnes
38 Brad Singleton (D)
16 Cain Robb
10 George Lawler
11 Jeremiah Simbiken
12 Alex Mellor
9 Liam Horne
Subs (all used)
14 Judah Rimbu
15 George Griffin
20 Muizz Mustapha
21 Sylvester Namo
18th man (not used)
26 George Hill
Also in 21-man squad
13 Joe Westerman
27 Jenson Windley
35 Dan Okoro
Tries: I Senior (68)
Goals: Milnes 0/1
DRAGONS
1 Sam Tomkins
22 Fouad Yaha
23 Matthieu Laguerre
4 Reimis Smith
5 Nick Cotric
6 Luke Keary
26 Guillermo Aispuro-Bichet
8 Tevita Pangai Jr
14 Alrix Da Costa
10 Julian Bousquet
9 Ben Garcia
12 Elliott Whitehead
13 Oliver Partington
Subs (all used)
3 Arthur Romano
15 Tevita Satae
16 Romain Navarrete
20 Jordan Dezaria
18th man (not used)
18 César Rougé
Also in 21-man squad
19 Paul Séguier
24 Franck Maria
28 Clément Martin
Tries: Pangai Jr (18), Da Costa (22), Yaha (47), Tomkins (60)
Goals: Tomkins 5/6
Sin bin: Tomkins (80) – persistent offending
SCORING SEQUENCE: 0-4, 0-10, 0-12, 0-14; 0-20, 0-26, 4-26
Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Tigers: Alex Mellor; Dragons: Sam Tomkins
Penalty count: 5-6
Half-time: 0-14
Referee: Liam Rush
Attendance: 6,005
