The opening game of round seventeen was a bottom of the
table four pointer between the Castleford Tigers and Huddersfield Giants which
would either see the Tigers close within two points if the Catalans Dragons in
ninth spot, or the Giants move within two points of the Tigers.
The home side were slight favourites with the bookies having
been handicapped by four points on the coupon but in reality, the unpredictable
nature of both sides in a disappointing 2025 meant that it really was anyone’s
game to win.
The Tigers won the Round nine encounter at the John Smith’s
Stadium in April by 30-12, this was the Giants chance of revenge.
A late tackle on the passing Joe Westerman by Zac Woolford saw
the Giants man sin-binned and the home side with a one-man advantage for the
first ten minutes.
But it was the twelve-man Huddersfield who opened the scoring
with a length of the field try on five minutes started by George Flanagan who
broke for half way after taking the kick on his own ten metre line before
finding Dane Gagai to break down the wing and then pass inside to Tui Lolohea
to score. George Flanagan added the extras.
Neither side could take their opportunities until the
thirty-second minute when Sam Halsall took a pass fifteen metres out and went
between three Tigers tacklers to drop over the line. Flanagan converted
brilliantly from the touchline for a 12-0 lead, the Giants looking good for
their lead.
Three minutes before the interval, George Lawler went over
for the Tigers after hitting the ball at speed and crashing through the defensive
line. Rowan Milnes added the extras to get his side back within six of the
visitors.
Thirty seconds before the half time hooter Sam Wood set Cini
free to step out of a couple of desperate Huddersfield tackles and go in from fifteen
metres. Milnes added the extras to level the scores, an incredible turnaround
in the last one hundred and eighty seconds of the half.
The Tigers now had the momentum for the second half.
On fifty-one the Giants regained the lead, Taane Milne going
over in the right corner with a battling solo effort. Flanagan flashed his kick
across the face of the posts, the Giants four ahead going into the last thirty
minutes.
Innes Senior fought his way to the line on sixty-one nut he
bounced the ball in the act of scoring.
A high tackle on Woolford on sixty-three gave Flanagan the
chance to add another two points to the lead, which he gratefully accepted.
Ten minutes from time Flanagan took a delightful inside pass
from Lolohea to go through a gap and over next to the right upright. Flanagan
added the conversion for a twelve-point advantage. The Giants had to hold on
and hope that the Castleford lightening from the dying minutes of the first
half would not strike again.
With just over a minute remaining a Lolohea intercept deep
inside his own half, and a sprint downfield, saw the scrum half get his second
of the night to pit the result beyond any doubt. Flanagan added the conversion
as the final hooter sounded for a 30-12 victory.
Despite the low expectations in advance of the kick off, and
the lack of quality on both sides, they still dealt up a game of intrigue and
excitement. The Giants registered their third win of the season to pull further
clear of bottom side Salford and to lift themselves up to within two of the Tigers.
For the Tigers it was an opportunity squandered.
Castleford Tigers: Cini (T), Simm, Senior L, Wood, Senior I,
Asi, Atkin, Amone, Horne, Singleton, Lawler (T), Mellor, Westerman. Subs: Milnes
(G 2/2), Griffin, Hall, Stimson. 18th Man: Tate.
Huddersfield Giants: Flanagan (T, G 5/6), Swift, Halsall (T),
Milne (T), Gagai, Frawley, Lolohea (2T), Wilson, Woolford (SB on 1), Powell,
Rushton, Greenwood, Cudjoe. Subs: Golding, King, Burgess, Rush. 18th
Man: English.
Half-Time: 12-12.
Full-Time: 12-30.
Score Progression: (SB), 0-4, 0-6, 0-10, 0-12, 4-12, 6-12, 10-12,
12-12 : HT: 12-16, 12-18, 12-22, 12-24, 12-28, 12-30 :FT.
Lead Exchanges: Huddersfield – Square - Huddersfield.
Referee: James Vella.
