Castleford Tigers' hat-trick star Greg Eden now eyes Denny Solomona's try record

The winger continued his remarkable run with four tries in Monday’s 38-0 destruction of Leigh Centurions.

In doing so, it is understood that he has already set two significant new milestones.

It was the fourth successive game in which Eden scored a hat-trick for the Super League leaders which is believed to be a first in the professional game.

However, his treble is also the fastest on record during the course of a match, coming in just four minutes and 59 seconds towards the end of the first half at Leigh Sports Village.

The previous best was set by Shaun Johnson, who achieved it in six minutes and 30 seconds for New Zealand Warriors against Canberra Raiders four years ago.

All of which takes the player – who arrived from Brisbane Broncos this season – to a stunning 28 tries in only 17 games.

He was already well-placed to beat Solomona’s record, achieved just last year, having scored a hat-trick in the Challenge Cup win over St Helens and then repeating the feat against Leeds Rhinos at Magic Weekend.

Yet, remarkably, the Castleford-born flier added another treble in Friday’s win against Widnes Vikings before his brilliant finishing was demonstrated once more on Monday.

Asked about that, he said: “I’m guessing it would be a record (scoring four successive hat-tricks).

“I’m not 100 per cent sure. A few people have said that but I’ve not looked into it.

“It was pretty quick as well. I didn’t really think about it at the time but it was just after when people were asking me. Thinking back... it was quite quick.

“We just seen to be playing well and when we hit our straps it all seems to come at once. Thankfully, I’m on the end of it.”

Fellow winger Solomona broke Castleford’s season record last year when he also claimed the Super League award and was nominated for ‘Man of Steel’.

He, of course, made a controversial cross-code switch to Sale Sharks last autumn and has made such rapid progress he is on the verge of a first England cap, having been passed fit for Eddie Jones’s tour to Argentina which flies out to Buenos Aires on Saturday.

Eden, though, could quickly break Solomona’s record haul for the West Yorkshire club.

“I’m not really thinking about it but I am well on the way for it,” he said, which must also be true of his own international debut for England’s rugby league side.

“If we keep playing the way we are, hopefully it (the record) is in sight and we just have to keep winning games and see if it comes to us.”

Even when the ball went to ground, as it sometimes did in the build-up to Eden’s tries at Leigh, it was still fashioned into a score.

The 26-year-old conceded: “Sometimes it’s just the way it goes.

“We’re getting that luck at the minute and hopefully it carries on.

“We had a real tough first 20 minutes or so at Leigh where we were battling it out but then seemed to hit our straps and kicked on from there.

“We just struck to our plan, eventually they just cracked and we started to hit our straps after that mark.

“I don’t think there was any turning back when we got to that stage.

“But with two games this weekend, to perform like that in the second one, I think it’s a massive effort.”

Indeed, Castleford had only led 12-0 when Eden crossed for his first try on 32 minutes 43 seconds.

He finished off his third, following yet more sublime work from centre Michael Shenton, with the clock at 37-42.

Jubilant Castleford remain two points in front of second-placed Salford Red Devils in an unfamiliar top four – derby rivals Wakefield Trinity climbed into fourth following their thrilling comeback at champions Wigan Warriors – as hopes rise that this could be the year they finally clinch a title.

Nevertheless, they host St Helens on Sunday knowing their opponents will certainly be fresh; Monday’s game at Huddersfield Giants was re-arranged, partly due to Huddersfield Town’s involvement in the Championship final against Reading but also as they have a spare weekend when the Challenge Cup quarter-finals take place.

Eden, who played for Huddersfield and Hull KR before spending two years in the NRL, said: “I think it will be a big ask for us boys having played today.

“With it being a six-day turnaround (after two games in four days) it’s not overly large.

“I think we deserve a couple of days off to get rested and should go into Sunday’s game feeling pretty confident.”