Castleford Tigers 25 Hull KR 4: Roberts showing his true colours at Castleford

Thankfully, approving fans were referring to Chase’s brilliance with ball in hand that used to light up so many games at Wheldon Road, not the ugly foul play which has seen him earn a seven-game ban at current club Salford Red Devils.

Regardless, the similarities were obvious; Roberts, the Samoa stand-off who had previously struggled to find his rhythm since moving from Melbourne Storm last winter, often toyed with Hull KR defenders and came up with some dazzling plays to help deliver a valuable win.

Whether it was his bursts of speed, willingness to attack the line and attract tacklers, or a clever kicking game which twice saw him force drop-outs, the 29-year-old looked like a man Castleford coach Daryl Powell could put plenty of faith in.

There was even a punishing tackle on Ben Cockayne that drove the Rovers man back into last week but, in fairness, countless Castleford players did similar; their defence against one of Super League’s most dangerous sides was almost impeccable.

However, Roberts’s stock has undoubtedly risen. Given he was a regular in the NRL last term, there was some surprise he did not start the season here alongside Luke Gale rather than Liam Finn.

But Finn earned that initial shot on the back of his achievements with Tigers in 2014 and a fine pre-season meaning the new arrival has had to be patient.

Saturday was only his third start at six and, after scoring from there in Easter Monday’s win at Warrington, also the first time he had strung consecutive games together in the playmaker role having spent much of the year coming off the bench at hooker.

“That has been different and something unexpected,” he admitted.

“But any way I can help the team out I don’t mind where I play. Personally I really struggled Monday with my kicking so I definitely have to improve that as kicking plays a big part in our game here.

“But I’ll keep working with Powelly, Shez (Ryan Sheridan) and Danny (Orr) and I am still working on my game over here.

“As long as I keep improving on my performance, though, I’m heading in the right direction.

“The boys certainly did that against Hull KR as one part of our game where we’d struggled this year is stringing together back-to-back wins so credit to them.”

It would be a surprise if Roberts did not start at six again at Widnes on Sunday given the way he helped create first-half tries for Jordan Tansey and Gale.

Nathan Massey – central to a brilliant pack performance – then marked his 100th Super League appearance with a rare try as an 18-4 interval lead was established.

Rovers had opened the scoring via Ken Sio’s ninth try of the campaign but they were never allowed to build any real further pressure given the command of Castleford’s forwards, with Andy Lynch and Frankie Mariano joining Massey in relentlessly powering away.

Hull KR’s Terry Campese has arguably been Super League’s top stand-off but he grew increasingly frustrated as Powell’s side limited his options, and denying the visitors a fourth successive win.

The only negative for Tigers, who rose above Rovers into fifth with Mariano’s surging try clinching victory after Gale’s drop goal on the hour, was a dislocated elbow for prolific winger Justin Carney early in the second half.

Powell revealed there was fragments of broken bone in the Australian’s arm, too, so he is expected to be sidelined for some time.

Opposition coach Chris Chester lost Darrell Goulding (head) and James Green (broken rib) to injuries, as well, while scrum-half Albert Kelly had to depart briefly after receiving a finger in the eye following a Carney fend. But he insisted: “We’d no energy. We were outplayed from the first minute, and the best team won.”

Castleford Tigers: Tansey; Gibson, Channing, Shenton, Carney; Robert, Gale; Lynch, Moore, Wheeldon, Holmes, Mariano, Massey. Substitutes: Milner, Millington, Jewitt, Boyle.

Hull KR: Dixon; Sio, Goulding, Welham, Mantellato; Campese, Kelly; Walker, Lunt, Allgood, Larroyer. Horne, McCarthy. Substitutes: Cockayne, Ollett, Green, 
Burke.

Referee: B Thaler (RFL).