Super League review: Leeds Rhinos lose at Castleford in Sinfield's first game
A review of the weekend's action in the Betfred Super League.
Super League results
- St Helens 36-6 Widnes
- Wigan 13-12 Warrington
- Wakefield 18-35 Catalans Dragons
- Hull KR 52-22 Salford Red Devils
- Castleford Tigers 42-10 Leeds Rhinos
Sunday July 8
Castleford Tigers 42-10 Leeds Rhinos
Teenage half-back Jake Trueman was Castleford's hero as they condemned Leeds to a 42-10 derby defeat in their first match under their new coaching team of Kevin Sinfield and James Lowes.
The Rhinos led 10-4 after 17 minutes thanks to two tries from winger Tom Briscoe, but trailed 16-10 at the break and the impressive Trueman sealed their fate with two solo tries in the second half as the Tigers scored 38 unanswered points.
An 11th win from their last 12 derbies lifts the Tigers above Warrington into third place in Betfred Super League, while an eighth successive defeat keeps Leeds in the bottom four.
Indeed, with Huddersfield and Catalans Dragons, the two teams immediately above them, both winning over the weekend and Hull KR below them moving to within two points, the reigning champions face a nervous end to the regular season as they seek to avoid a place in the dreaded Qualifiers.
Hull KR 52-22 Salford Red Devils
Danny McGuire scored a first ever hat-trick for Hull KR as they thrashed relegation rivals Salford 52-22 to keep alive their hopes of a top-eight finish.
McGuire, Super League's record try scorer, bagged his latest career treble in 22 minutes to help rampant Rovers leapfrog the Red Devils into 10th place.
Salford, who had won their three previous meetings against the hosts, can also still avoid an end-of-season relegation scrap.
But on the evidence of this nine-try hammering, after taking an early 6-0 lead, they are unlikely to escape the bottom four.
Helped by the finishing skills of the ex-Leeds and England ace McGuire and a double from winger Will Oakes, Rovers topped their previous best score against the Red Devils of 48-12 in 2009.
Saturday July 7
Wakefield 18-35 Catalans Dragons
Brayden Wiliame scored twice as Catalans Dragons maintained their impressive recent form with a hard-fought win over Wakefield at the Mobile Rocket Stadium.
First-half tries from Greg Bird, Benjamin Julien, David Mead and Wiliame helped the Dragons into a 22-12 interval lead.
Wakefield scored through Justin Horo (two) and Tom Johnstone but they could not deny Steve McNamara's side a seventh win from their last nine Super League games as Wiliame completed his brace and Fouad Yaha also went over.
The result lifted Catalans level on points with Wakefield.
Friday, July 6
St Helens 36-6 Widnes
Winger Adam Swift scored a hat-trick as Betfred Super League leaders St Helens eased past bottom club Widnes 36-6 at the Totally Wicked Stadium.
Saints were missing Super League's top try scorer Ben Barba and Tommy Makinson despite them being named in the original 19-man squad earlier in the week.
But they had still had too much class for their near neighbours, building a 20-0 lead by half-time on their way to an 11th successive win in all competitions.
As for Widnes, this 13th successive league defeat means they are in grave danger of finishing bottom of Super League for a second successive season.
Wigan 13-12 Warrington
A drop goal from 20-year-old stand-off Josh Woods 22 seconds from the end of a pulsating derby earned Wigan a dramatic 13-12 victory over plucky Warrington.
The Wolves trailed for most of the game but thought they had secured at least a point when former Wigan favourite Josh Charnley went over for a try four minutes from the end to tie the scores.
But full-back Stefan Ratchford was narrowly wide with the touchline conversion and scrum-half Tyrone Roberts was off target with a drop-goal attempt before Wood, deputising for the injured George Williams, showed composure beyond his tender years to land the decisive score.
Although they were out-scored by three tries to two, depleted Wigan were deserved winners after bossing the game for long periods.
The victory was sweet revenge for their recent 23-0 Challenge Cup defeat as they put daylight between themselves and the third-placed Wolves.
It was a feisty, no-frills contest that was illuminated by an accomplished display at centre by John Bateman while no-one toiled harder in a losing cause than Warrington veteran Ben Westwood, who was typically Trojan on his 500th career appearance and deserved his guard of honour from his appreciative team-mates at the end.
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