Challenge Cup semi-final: Castleford Tigers beat Warrington 35-20 to set up St Helens final

Jordan Turner scored a hat-trick to send Castleford Tigers into the Challenge Cup final against St Helens with victory over Warrington.

Gareth O'Brien's try plus two from Turner gave Cas a great foundation and they led 19-0 at half-time.

Ben Currie got the Wire on the board and Jake Mamo cut the deficit further.

Jesse Sene-Lefao scored a great try for Cas before Toby King replied with a fine solo score but Turner's third and then Paul McShane's try were crucial.

Josh Charnley crashed over in the corner for the Wolves but it was not enough and it will be Castleford who take on Saints at Wembley on Saturday 17 July.

Cas coach Daryl Powell is taking over at Warrington at the end of the year but it was his current side who put their 60-6 defeat by Leeds Rhinos last week behind them to reach a first Challenge Cup final since 2014 as he looks to sign off with a trophy.

Powell said before the game that he had not allowed his charges to dwell on that heavy loss to Leeds and it showed in a clinical first-half display.

After an even first 15 minutes, O'Brien showed good nous to go over from close in and things then got worse for the Wire when Mamo was sin-binned for stopping Turner playing the ball after Castleford had nearly broken through and O'Brien kicked the penalty to make it 8-0.

Turner just about managed to force the ball down over the line despite some great defence from Stefan Ratchford and he then charged in again before Mamo returned to the field as Cas took full advantage of their extra man and some lax defending from the Wolves.

Warrington came flying out of the traps at the start of the second half and Currie showed brilliant awareness to move the ball to his left hand to stretch over moments after Sitaleki Akauola had been held up over the line.

Mamo then scored their second try in three minutes to give them a chance but a set restart then let in Cas and some scintillating passing ended with Sene-Lefao running through a gap to make it 23-8.

King scored a wonderful solo try after Cas had Jax O'Neill sent to the sin-bin to put the game back into the balance but quickfire tries from Turner and McShane made it a long way back for Steve Price's men with time against them.

And so it proved, as O'Brien kicked a penalty to give them a 15-point lead going into the final 10 minutes after Charnley had gone over for Warrington.

Castleford coach Daryl Powell:

"I'm obviously delighted. It was a big swing in games wasn't it? We lost by (conceding) 60 and they won by (scoring) 60 last week and not many people were giving us much chance.

"We showed what we are about, we showed we still care. Some people doubted that but I'd like to say to the fans I've been concentrating throughout on this job.

"A lot of people have been jumping up and down and I can't understand that. I've been committed to this club for eight years and that hasn't changed. Some people need to take a look at themselves and give their heads a wobble."

Warrington coach Steve Price:

"Castleford deserve everything they got tonight.

"They were way too fast for us. The ruck speed got away from us."

Castleford Tigers: Evalds, Olpherts, Mata'utia, Shenton, Turner, O'Brien, Trueman, Milner, Sene-Lefao, Holmes, Matagi, McShane, Massey

Interchanges: Watts, Foster, O'Neill, Clare.

Warrington: Ratchford, Lineham, Mamo, King, Charnley, Austin, Widdop, Hill, Clark, Cooper, Currie, Hughes, Davis.

Interchanges: Mulhern, Philbin, Akauola, Walker.