Forward thinking as injuries strike Tigers

Castleford coach Ian Millward reckons his club made some sort of Super League history by fielding a team comprising just four backs in Friday’s clash with leaders Wigan.

The Tigers went down 40-16 but Millward could not have been more proud of his players as they battled the odds to push the home side all the way despite making the worst possible start.

Already without centres Joe Arundel and Kirk Dixon and with utility back Ryan McGoldrick moving to Hull, Millward’s resources were stretched to breaking point when Rangi Chase, Jamie Ellis and Josh Griffin all pulled out on the day of the game through injury and illness.

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“I think we’re the only team that’s played in Super League with 13 forwards,” said Millward, who had back-row forwards playing in both centre spots and at stand-off.

Full-back Richard Owen, wings Rhys Williams and Nick Youngquest and scrum-half Danny Orr were Castleford’s only backs and Orr lasted less than half the match after sustaining a “dead leg”.

Millward’s patched-up side duly looked set for a mauling when Wigan scored three tries in the first 10 minutes to lead 16-0 but they stemmed the onslaught and hit back with tries of their own through Williams, Oliver Holmes and Stuart Jones.

Wigan’s unlikely tryscoring hero was Tongan Epalahame “Hame” Lauaki, who opened his account for the club just four minutes into the game and doubled his tally two minutes later.

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When winger Iain Thornley marked his home debut with a try two minutes after that, the Warriors were in rampant form but it took them another hour to finally quell the brave Tigers.

Josh Charnley and Sam Tomkins, who have 51 Super League tries between them so far this season, ended the match on a high by scoring three times in the last 14 minutes but coach Shaun Wane was disappointed with the finishing of his outside backs.

“I thought all our middle units ran hard – Ben Flower, Hame, Lee Mossop, Jeff Lima – the problem came when we pulled the trigger,” he said.

“We weren’t at our clinical best.

“It was the other way around against Leeds (in the Challenge Cup). This time it was our edges where we could be better.”

Darrell Goulding was stretchered off with a head injury and is a doubt for this weekend’s home game against Hull.