Super League results, reports and reaction as Castleford win at Leeds

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Super League results & reports (Jun 22-24)

Saturday

Warrington 24-16 Catalans

Friday

Huddersfield 19-19 Wigan
Hull 40-18 Wakefield
Leeds 12-23 Castleford
St Helens 25-24 Salford

Thursday

Widnes 36-10 Leigh

Saturday review

New Catalans boss Steve McNamara lost his first match in charge of the Dragons as Warrington claimed a hard-earned 24-16 Betfred Super League victory to keep their top eight hopes alive.

The former England and Bradford boss made the move from the New Zealand Warriors to the South of France this week on a two-and-a-half year contract to replace Laurent Frayssinous, who left the Dragons last month, but there was no dream start at the Halliwell Jones stadium.

Warrington's victory saw them leapfrog the Dragons into ninth place but last season's league leaders and losing Grand Finalists are still three points behind Wigan and Huddersfield with just four games remaining before the league splits.

Friday review

Castleford passed another major test in their bid for a first Super League title by beating Leeds 23-12 at Headingley to move seven points clear at the top.

The Tigers' ability to win big matches was questioned after last week's Ladbrokes Challenge Cup exit but they edged their big-city neighbours in an absorbing derby played out in front of a crowd of 18,029 to make a significant statement.

Ash Handley had given Leeds an early lead in bizarre circumstances but Super League's top try-scorer Greg Eden levelled the scores and Luke Gale's penalty gave the Tigers a slender 8-6 half-time lead.

Zak Hardaker silenced the Headingley boo-boys with a long-range try after the restart and Leeds were staring down the barrel of yet another defeat in the fixture when Grant Millington touched down.

Adam Cuthbertson gave the Rhinos hope but Castleford's lead was never truly under threat as they continued their dominance over the seven-time Super League champions.

Matty Smith kicked a long distance drop-goal after the full-time hooter to complete an amazing fightback from St Helens against his old club Salford at the Totally Wicked Stadium.

Smith's perfectly struck kick from 40 metres completed the most remarkable of comebacks from Justin Holbrook's side who had looked dead and buried with seven minutes remaining as they trailed 24-8 and came away with a 25-24 win.

The home side scored three times in the closing stages to claw their way back into the game and eventually seal the win which broke Salford hearts, denying them a first away win against Saints in 37 years.

Wigan winger Liam Marshall claimed a brace to take his season's tally to 22 tries in all competitions but it was not enough to decide a hard-fought 19-19 draw at Huddersfield.

The result follows the 16-16 stalemate in the corresponding match at the DW Stadium on March 19 and leaves both sides still hovering dangerously above the cut-off line with the Betfred Super League splitting into two after four more rounds.

The revitalised Giants remain unbeaten in their last four games, while struggling Wigan are without a win in their last eight league games.

Hull FC consolidated their top-four credentials with a 40-18 victory over fifth-placed Wakefield Trinity at the KCOM Stadium.

Hull ran in seven tries to Wakefield's three as they stretched their winning run to four matches, with the returning Marc Sneyd kicking six goals. Liam Finn managed three kicks for Trinity.

Craig Huby and Mahe Fonua both received yellow cards before Jamie Shaul's 17th try of the season and Fetuli Talanoa's acrobatic finish put Hull 10-0 up after 20 minutes.

Wakefield hit back to nudge 12-10 ahead at the break with two tries of their own through James Batchelor and Sam Williams, before former Hull centre Reece Lyne scored from close range to extend Trinity's lead to 18-10 shortly after the restart.

Tries from Jake Connor and Sneyd turned the match around for Hull before a tremendous solo effort from Shaul and late tries from Fonua and Jansin Turgut sealed victory for Hull, lifting them to third in the table.

Thursday review

Australian duo Chris Houston and Corey Thompson scored doubles as the Widnes beat Leigh 36-10 in the battle of two of Super League's strugglers.

Widnes and Leigh have been slugging it out at the foot of the table since April but the Vikings, who welcomed back a ruck of stars, put in an assured first-half display where they ran in four tries, which was enough for Denis Betts' men to get the job done despite a second-half stutter.

As a result, they climb off the bottom of the table and are replaced by Leigh, with a point between the two.