Super League: Castleford Tigers 6-24 St Helens - club world champions claim win in domestic opener

Tee Ritson earned a season-long loan move to St Helens after 33 tries for second-tier Barrow in 2022

St Helens began their bid for a fifth consecutive Super League title with victory at Castleford Tigers.

Eight days after a World Club Challenge win over Penrith Panthers in Australia, Saints withstood early pressure before scoring through full-back Jack Welsby.

Winger Tee Ritson crossed on his Super League debut to extend the lead.

Cas hit back with a penalty try, given after Welsby's high tackle denied Jack Broadbent, but Alex Walmsley touched down twice late on to seal the success.

Those match-sealing tries were a fine way for England prop Walmsley, who missed the recent World Cup because of a foot injury, to mark his 250th appearance for Saints.

St Helens were in action on English soil for the first time since becoming the first Super League team to win a World Club Challenge match in Australia for 29 years, having overcome NRL winners Penrith in golden-point extra time.

They were tested by Castleford, who ran the champions close for much of the contest and Lee Radford's side will take positives despite starting the campaign with a second consecutive defeat.

But they were guilty of several errors in good attacking positions, most notably in the closing minutes when Bureta Faraimo had a try ruled out by the video referee because his forearm was judged to be in touch as he grounded the ball under no pressure.

Saints start Super League defence with win

In addition to their significant on-field exertions down under, Saints' disrupted journey home - via Bangkok, Stockholm and London - lasted 53 hours.

Castleford attempted to take advantage of any ill-effects with some expansive attacking early on.

The Tigers, who lost to Hull FC in their opening fixture, twice went close to tries in the opening five minutes but Niall Evalds failed to grasp an inside pass and Mark Percival's last-ditch tackle denied Alex Mellor.

When another attack from Jake Mamo's charge broke down, Saints countered and England international Welsby dived in under the posts for the only points of the first half.

Jonny Lomax was the architect for the try scored by Ritson, whose 33 in all competitions for Championship club Barrow last season earned him a loan move to the reigning Super League champions.

Castleford's hopes were raised when referee Liam Moore judged that Welsby had illegally halted Broadbent's dart for the line.

But Welsby atoned for his indiscretion by setting up Walmsley, who later barged through several home tacklers to secure a first Super League win for new St Helens head coach Paul Wellens.

Castleford head coach Lee Radford told BBC Radio Leeds:

"In terms of opportunities, I thought we probably created enough to win two games, but that's where we've got to develop and grow as a team - to learn how to stay in that fight and show that stiffness that the Saints players have shown putting four [Super League Grand Final] rings on their fingers.

"Our focus with the ball was to finish further upfield to be able to kick better, not to score on every opportunity. That penny just didn't drop unfortunately.

"We got into a bit of space and almost forgot what to do with it."

St Helens head coach Paul Wellens told BBC Radio Merseyside:

"You see why I consider it an honour [to coach St Helens] when you see the way they approached the game today, off the back of what they've been through in the past seven or eight days.

"It was a phenomenal effort from the guys and I'm immensely proud of them."

Saints prop Alex Walmsley:

"There would have been no excuses if we didn't turn up today. We spoke about what we demand in terms of our standards and I thought we delivered on those.

"The one thing about this group is that we're always looking forward. We're going to put last week to bed, we're very much focused forward on Super League now and getting back to Old Trafford."

Castleford: Evalds; Mamo, Turner, Broadbent, Faraimo; Widdop, Miller; Griffin, McShane, Vete, Edwards, Mellor, Lawler.

Interchanges: Milner, Mustapha, Robb, Watts.

St Helens: Welsby; Ritson, Hurrell, Percival, Bennison; Lomax, Dodd; Walmsley, Lussick, Lees, Mata'utia, Bell, Knowles.

Interchanges: McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Wingfield, Norman, Royle.

Referee: Liam Moore.

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