Wakefield edged an exciting 11-try engage Super League derby at Belle Vue to leapfrog neighbours Castleford into eighth place in the table.

Castleford, with 38-year-old Brad Davis calling the shots on his comeback, enjoyed a dream start with two tries in the first six minutes but they paid the price for their defensive frailty.

The lead changed hands three times in the first half before the visitors crucially leaked two tries in four minutes just before the interval.

The defensive weaknesses of both sides were in evidence throughout and Castleford were the first to take advantage.

Centre Michael Shenton pounced on a grubber kick from Ryan McGoldrick which bounced in the Wakefield 20-metre area like a pinball to score the first try inside two minutes, and second row forward Richard Fletcher ran on to Davis' defence-splitting pass to grab the second.

Fletcher converted his own try, having missed with his first attempt, to make it 10-0 but Wakefield's response was swift and decisive.

Skilful halfbacks Jamie Rooney and Ben Jeffries combined to get second rower David Solomona over after 14 minutes, and five minutes later full-back Colum Halpenny supported a break by French international Olivier Elima to touch down.

Rooney added both goals to edge his side in front but the Tigers, who gave a debut to new signing Paul Franze, regained the lead on 27 minutes when left winger Wayne Pryce finished strongly at the corner.

As fortunes continued to ebb and flow, the lead changed hands again when 20-year-old centre Ryan Atkins, signed a week ago on loan from Bradford, spotted a gap and showed enough pace to get to the line.

And, when substitute prop Darrell Griffin plunged over from acting half back three minutes before the break, with Rooney kicking his fourth conversion, the lead was out to eight points.

Both sides tightened their defences after the break but Wakefield strengthened their grip on the game with a fifth try seven minutes after the break.

Scrum-half Jeffries ran a superb line to scythe through the Tigers defence and although Fletcher half stopped him, he could not complete the tackle and the little Australian wriggled his way to the line.

Rooney was off target for the first time, but at 28-16 the Wildcats were in firm control.

The home side made life extra difficult for themselves after 59 minutes when Jeffries was sin-binned for throwing the ball away, and Castleford scored two more tries while they were down to two men.

Winger Luke Dyer finished off a break by substitute Paul Handforth and four minutes later Deon Bird swooped on a Davis grubber kick to touch down.

Fletcher kicked one of the conversions to cut the gap to just two points, but pacy substitute Paul White steadied fraying nerves when he sliced through a tiring Tigers defence for a superb individual effort and Rooney kicked his fifth goal.