Castleford Tigers 18 Leeds Rhinos 14: Tigers ultimately rule in thriller with Rhinos

If the rest of the holiday season is as intense, enthralling and exciting as the game Castleford Tigers and Leeds Rhinos served up last night, Super League is in for a treat.

Of course, it will not be – two games in four days never makes sense – so let us just enjoy the fare here.

Jake Webster, the veteran Kiwi centre who is enjoying an Indian summer while Castleford captain Michael Shenton is nursing his reconstructed knee, arrived with the definitive moment, scoring the deciding try in the 73rd minute.

His side needed it; they were facing a fourth successive defeat with champions Leeds having held onto a narrow 14-12 advantage until that point. The breathless, desperate manner in which both sides were defending, though, suggested neither side might break through until Christmas let alone Easter Monday.

Leeds full-back Zak Hardaker produced a great try-saving tackle on Denny Solomona, the prolific Kiwi winger playing No 1 himself last night in Luke Dorn’s absence.

Perhaps he was unwise taking on the England international with support on his inside and he was certainly thankful when Castleford’s Jy Hitchcox came up with a similar desperate tackle after Liam Sutcliffe intercepted Luke Gale’s pass and raced 70m in the other direction

This was perhaps the only mistimed play of Gale’s night, the acting-Castleford captain and scrum-half who continued to show why he must be the next England No 7.

In front of a sell-out crowd of 11,426, he helped inspire his side who were told by head coach Daryl Powell to restore pride in the jersey after an embarrassing 56-12 loss at Warrington a week ago.

They will fly out to Perpignan tomorrow morning in readiness for Monday’s game against Catalans Dragons with renewed belief and energy.

Leeds, meanwhile, having shown signs of recovery by defeating St Helens last week, are left facing a record of just two wins from seven Super League games so far.

They suffered a blow when replacement Brett Delaney strained a hamstring in the warm-up, the Australian second-row forced out of the game and being replaced by Jimmy Keinhorst.

They had hoped to see captain Danny McGuire make his first appearance since injuring his knee on the opening night, but it looks like he will be saved for Monday’s visit from Wakefield Trinity, a game Leeds simply have to win.

Castleford, who saw their own talisman Benny Roberts fail a late fitness test, started at apace taking a 12-0 lead inside just 13 minutes.

They had already seen former Hull KR star Webster denied one ‘try’ when Keith Galloway’s crude high tackle on Nathan Massey put them in position.

Gale went into dummy-half and picked a perfect pass for veteran prop Andy Lynch to go over untouched. Rhinos struggled with their discipline early on and were penalised again in the next set.

Referee James Child dished out a team warning before scrum-half Gale – showing why he might just get the nod for England this year – broke clear.

Grant Millington and Solomona combined for Webster to finish off, Gale slotting his second conversion.

But Leeds hit back with a purple patch of three unanswered tries in 14 minutes.

They struck out of nowhere when former Castleford second-row Brett Ferres dinked a kick through that Ash Handley collected for Joel Moon to score.

Sutcliffe slotted the touchline kick before some quick play-the-balls then saw them raid down the Tigers’ left.

The outstanding Carl Ablett surged onto Beau Falloon’s pass from halfway on the last tackle and sent Kallum Watkins in for a classy score.

England winger Tom Briscoe marked his return from an ankle injury suffered in only the second game of the season by then finishing off another score created by running on the final tackle.

Sutcliffe could not improve so it was left 14-12 at the break, Briscoe denied a second just before the interval hooter.

Each side had chances in the second period, Paul McShane seeing one ruled out for Castleford due to Webster’s forward pass, and both lacked composure at times. But when Man of Steel Hardaker fumbled under pressure from Greg Minikin after taking a high kick, the home side made them pay.

Gale crabbed across field 10m from the Leeds line before hitting 32-year-old Webster with a lovely pass that left the visiting defence helpless.

Leeds pressed hard in the closing moments but Ablett – who had been sheer quality with his work all night – came up with a dropped ball.

Castleford Tigers: Solomona; Monaghan, Crooks, Webster, Hitchcox; Hampshire, Gale; Lynch, Milner, Boyle, Millington, McMeeken, Massey. Substitutes: McShane, Springer, Maher, Minikin.

Leeds Rhinos: Hardaker; Briscoe, Watkins, Moon, Hall; Sutcliffe, Burrow; Galloway, Falloon, Cuthbertson, Ablett, Ferres, Jones-Buchanan. Substitutes: Lilley, Mullally, Walters, Keinhorst.

Referee: James Child (Dewsbury)