Super League: Castleford Tigers 0-22 Wigan Warriors: Wigan return to form to stun Tigers
- Published
Jackson Hastings (right) is leaving Wigan to return to the NRL with West Tigers at the end of the season
Betfred Super League |
|---|
Castleford (0) |
Wigan (6) 22 |
Tries: Hastings, Marshall, Gildart, Singleton Goals: Smith (2), Hastings |
Wigan upset the form book to stun Castleford and consolidate their push for a Super League play-off place.
Half-back Jackson Hastings scored Warriors' first try in three games as they led 6-0 at the break.
Liam Marshall picked up a loose pass to run in Warriors' second try on the hour before Oliver Gildart's excellent finish killed the game.
Brad Singleton's late score topped it all off as Cas slipped to only a second shut-out in their Super League history.
Wigan's win - following three straight defeats - keeps them fourth in the Super League table, with Tigers slipping to seventh with three rounds to go.
After wins over Leeds, St Helens, Wakefield and Hull FC, Castleford welcomed back captain Michael Shenton after a month out with a fractured cheekbone but found the Wigan defence in no mood to roll over.
Despite having plenty of pressure, the Warriors' ferocious defending merely increased Cas' frustration and forced several handling errors at key moments.
Wigan's fortitude at the back infused their attacks with confidence and Hastings charged through three Tigers defenders to touch down for their first try in 217 minutes of Super League action.
Castleford's sloppiness continued as Jordan Turner dropped a long pass from Niall Evalds with the line at his mercy.
The Tigers ragged execution didn't improve after the break as Marshall gathered a wayward pass from Turner to run in his seventh try of the season.
Harry Smith then hit Gildart with a brilliant long pass as he finished superbly under pressure in the corner to increase Wigan's lead to 16-0.
Singleton added deserved gloss to the score in the last minute as Adrian Lam's side bounced back from defeats by Hull KR, St Helens and Leeds in fine style.
Castleford Tigers boss Daryl Powell:
"I think the schedule caught up with us a bit. But we were so poor and pretty abject with the ball - Wigan were desperate for the win and they deserved it.
"We just need to move on from this and I think I will just throw the DVD of the game straight in the bin.
"We just made too many errors and lacked any real execution or clarity in our handling and our kicking.
"The boys are pretty beat up at the moment. Some players weren't good enough today and they need to know that - and they will do."
Wigan Warriors head coach Adrian Lam:
"Given the current situation we've been in, to come here and win - and to keep them to zero - makes this one of the highlights of the year.
"We were tough and resilient; we were back to the Wigan way and we're in control of our own destiny now.
"I care about these players and love them so much - and I know we can do anything once we get to the play-offs."
Castleford Tigers: Evalds, Turner, Shenton (capt), Mata'utia, Olpherts, O'Brien, Richardson, Massey, Holmes, Sene-Lefeo, Watts, Milner, Millington.
Interchanges: Griffin, Foster, Eden, Matagi.
Wigan Warriors: Hardaker, Marshall, Gildart, Bibby, Halsall, Hastings, Smith, Smithies, Farrell, Bateman, Singleton, Shorrocks, Partington.
Interchanges: Bullock, Byrne, O'Neill, Pearce-Paul.
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