Castleford's best is yet to come, insists Wardle after Trinity win

Tigers bounced back from the previous week’s loss at Wigan Warriors with a 24-4 success at the Jungle, extending their winning streak against Trinity to 10 games.

It wasn’t a vintage performance, in a scrappy game, but Wardle felt the two points were all-important.

“It’s just about knocking the points off and being consistent in what we’re doing,” he reflected.

“We are still nowhere near playing the best rugby we can play.

“That’s obviously being dictated by the fields and stuff like that, but I think we are in a really good place at the minute.

“If we can just keep consistent and keep ticking over, the good things will come.”

Wardle admitted Friday’s victory at Wheldon Road was closer than the 20-point margin suggests.

“It was a tough game,” he said. “I’ll be honest, I don’t think the ref helped at all, there were penalties left, right and centre so it was a really slow game, but the boys dug deep.

“We had a good defensive effort and it showed.”

Tigers’ second-half performances have been a concern this year, but they out-scored Trinity 14-0 after the break.

“To be fair to Wakey, they came out at the beginning of that second half and really tested us,” added Wardle.

“We did well to dig deep and get back on top. I think that was all credit to Paul McShane and Jamie Ellis with their kicking game, they really got us back on the front foot.”

Wardle has played in four successive games after recovering from a hamstring injury and is pleased with the way things are going personally.

He said: “It’s always nice to be playing.

“I don’t think (Friday] was the best game, it wasn’t an outside-backs’ game, but it was nice to be out there with the boys and it’s another one ticked off for me coming back from injury.”

With Greg Eden, James Clare and Garry Lo all unavailable, Wardle shifted from second-row into the centres against Trinity, a role he may continue in at Hull FC on Saturday.