Castleford 18 Huddersfield 12: Tigers continue impressive start to season

A couple of seasons ago they managed just four victories there all year, enduring narrow morale-ruining defeats against Wigan, Catalans, Huddersfield and, in the most agonising of circumstances, Leeds.

The last campaign saw similar disappointments versus both Hull clubs. All of them were games they know they should have won.

However, Terry Matterson’s spirited side opened their account at the PROBIZ Coliseum on Saturday night with an enlightening performance which suggests such losses will not be so commonplace in 2011. Far from it.

Their first-half display was almost perfect, Rangi Chase fumbling the re-start following Nick Youngquest’s 24th-minute try their only genuine mistake as they established an 8-0 interval lead. Remarkably, that was the first time Huddersfield, so devastating in beating Warrington a week earlier, even managed to venture into Castleford’s 20.

They were quickly repelled, Richard Mathers’s excellent goalline tackle on David Faiumu as the Giants substitute seemed destined to score a sign of the resilience and defensive solidity which would under-pin the victory. Matterson reckons they only missed three tackles all evening.

When Jermaine McGillvary crossed just two minutes into the second period, Danny Brough converting from wide out to leave the visitors trailing 8-6, and a couple of errors crept in, the most ardent of Castleford fans must have thought this would be another game which might slip away.

Mathers spilled on the first tackle to allow Kevin Brown a chance the England stand-off should have taken and Huddersfield gained an extra lift.

But Castleford, who previously would have hurt themselves by reverting to their natural instinct to over-play, steadied, principally due to the leadership and experience of scrum-half Danny Orr, making his first appearance in a Tigers shirt at Wheldon Road since 2003.

The new captain kept things simple in the filthy conditions, produced an exemplary kicking game which pinned Huddersfield back and effortlessly guided his side around the park to close out the match as they showed remarkable composure and cohesion in only the second fixture of the season.

Prop Craig Huby was the stand-out performer in a relentless pack which subdued their opponents’ revered forwards and prevented the likes of Brough and Brown gaining any foothold.

“We’ve been working all pre-season for these sorts of games,” he told the Yorkshire Post.

“Last week we didn’t play particularly well in beating Wakefield and we knew what Huddersfield would bring to the table. We had to match them up front if not better them and that’s what we did.

“In the press earlier in the week they were saying their forwards were going to get on top of ours.

“We knew we had a challenge but all agreed – no one bullies us at home. They didn’t.”

Huby, still only 24 but in his ninth campaign with the club having debuted in Orr’s last season at Castleford, led from the front with one crunching tackle on England prop Eorl Crabtree early on.

It was an inspiring piece of defence which set the tone. A veteran of so many of those painful defeats in the past, Huby admitted: “Over previous years we probably would have got edged out tonight. It may have been down to a bit of luck or whatever but we might have lost.

“This season though our attitude and professionalism is a lot better. Hopefully this is just a start.

“Danny did great taking the pressure off Rangi (Chase) and it’s massive to have him back at the club. He’s not really changed since the first time he was here and is still so professional.”

Kirk Dixon improved Youngquest’s try – set up after Orr’s break and from Chase’s kick – and added a penalty to put Castleford in control.

Youngquest got his second, and third since signing from Crusaders, on 57 minutes after he, Brett Ferres and Chase had bundled Scott Grix back over his own line, the ball coming loose. Video referee Richard Silverwood made a ‘benefit of the doubt’ decision although it appeared Chase may have nudged possession from the full-back’s grasp.

Dixon could not improve but had a hand in their third try, rising above David Hodgson to palm down Orr’s hanging kick for Joe Arundel to fall over the line for a score he did convert.

The desire of Castleford – who gave a debut to lively local 17-year-old hooker Daryl Clark after Ryan Hudson pulled up in training on Friday – was illustrated once more when Orr, Arundel and Dean Widders combined to force Hodgson in to touch just as Huddersfield looked to threaten.

McGillvary raced in from 50 metres after the hooter for Brough to improve but it did not take any gloss off the Tigers’ victory.

The club held a minute’s applause beforehand following the death of former player Ian Tonks’s 12-year-old daughter Megan and supporter John Rowley. The applause continued at the end following a superb victory; it was a fitting tribute.

“The ball was clearly stripped for Youngquest’s second try but it doesn’t matter,” said Huddersfield coach Nathan Brown.

“Sides that are hungrier and keenest generally get benefit of the doubt. Cas were too good for us on the night. Credit to them.”

Castleford: Mathers; Dixon, Arundel, Ferres, Youngquest; Chase, Orr; Jackson, Milner, Huby, Emmitt, Holmes, Jones. Substitutes: Walker, Aspinwall, Widders, Clark.

Huddersfield: Grix; McGillvary, Cudjoe, Lawrence, Hodgson; Brown, Brough; Crabtree, Carlile, Mason, Gilmour, Fa’alogo, O’Donnell. Substitutes: Lunt, Faiumu, Griffin, Horne.

Referee: S Ganson (St Helens).