Castleford Tigers 16-14 Leeds Rhinos - Jack Sinfield handed Super League debut in defeat

Leeds Rhinos' Jack Sinfield (right) failed to stop Castleford Tigers' Derrell Olpherts from scoring the hosts' second try

Jack Sinfield, the son of Leeds great Kevin, starred on his Super League debut but failed to prevent a Rhinos defeat at Castleford.

James Clare and Derrell Olpherts put the hosts 8-0 up before Sinfield set Rhyse Martin up for Leeds' response with a grubber kick before the break.

The 17-year-old half-back was then held up over the line in the second half.

Both sides traded penalties before Liam Watts crucially went over for Tigers before Martin crossed again late on.

• Super League standings

Defeat leaves Rhinos - who were again led by interim boss Jamie Jones-Buchanan as their search for Richard Agar's replacement continues - second from bottom and just one point above Toulouse.

In the absence of six injured backs, Jones-Buchanan handed Sinfield and fellow 17-year-old Max Simpson their Super League debuts.

Sinfield only signed his first professional contract with Rhinos last summer, with the deal being done in the same week that his father left his position as director of rugby.

Kevin Sinfield won seven Grand Finals and two Challenge Cups during a glittering playing career with Leeds.

Castleford's fourth league victory of the campaign capped a superb bank holiday weekend, coming four days after their 17th straight derby win over Wakefield.

The seventh-placed Tigers next face leaders St Helens on Friday, while Leeds face fellow strugglers Toulouse on the same night.

Castleford head coach Lee Radford:

"It was an awful game to watch. In a strange sort of way, the messiness makes the win a bit more gratifying.

"I thought we lost that game four times over. It had an Easter Monday feel to it, it was a four-day turn-around performance.

"The one thing we did was defend well, but we've got to sharpen our focus on Friday night. That's the acid test and playing the best team in the comp should bring the best out of us."

Leeds interim coach Jamie Jones-Buchanan:

"People like Morgan Gannon, Jarrod O'Connor, Jack Sinfield and Max Simpson stood up to be counted for long periods.

"I get my joy right now for what that might look like in six or 12 months when those boys have got a few more miles on the clock.

"It's a far cry from being fully complete but it's a million miles from where it was four or five weeks ago. And when you think about the world-class players to come back in, it is positive."

(On Sinfield): "I thought he was exceptional for 80 minutes. He played a big part in that first-half try and came up with some real nice moments.

"His game will get perfected in seasons to come and, God willing, much like his dad, he will lift lots of trophies."

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Castleford Tigers: Evalds, Clare, Mamo, Fonua, Olpherts, O'Brien, Trueman, Westerman, Edwards, Milner, Watts, McShane, Griffin.

Replacements: Massey, Hepi, Smith, Qaraqare.

Leeds Rhinos: Sutcliffe, Handley, Mellor, Simpson, Briscoe, Austin, Sinfield, O'Connor, Martin, Bentley, Thompson, Leeming, Oledzki.

Replacements: Dwyer, Tetevano, Gannon, Donaldson.

Referee: L Moore.