Super League Power Rankings: Castleford Tigers have taken over as our new top team...as Leeds Rhinos flounder

Who is at the bottom, though?...yes, Leeds Rhinos.

It is a big week for the still winless defending champions. Can they get off the mark at last against fellow strugglers Huddersfield Giants in the fourth week of Super League action?

1) Castleford Tigers (+2) - Widnes Vikings may have moved top of Super League but it is Tigers who move to the top of the rankings by virtue of the fact their win last week came at previous leaders Hull FC.

Daryl Powell’s side showed all the guts and determination of a truly classy side to come from behind and win at the KC Stadium with hat-trick man Denny Solomona once more showing his finishing brilliance and match-winner Luke Gale doing his England No 7 hopes no end of good with that vital drop-goal.

St Helens away next where Castleford have not won in 24 years; win there, and they will be well on the way to proving they are genuine title contenders.

2) Warrington Wolves (no move) - One of two remaining unbeaten sides along with Castleford, Tony Smith’s men were tidy enough against Wakefield to maintain their promising start to the season. Easily overcame the loss of injured captain Ben Westwood, the Wire’s off-season recruitment is already proving canny. Thursday night’s televised game at Salford will be a sterner examination of their credentials but you expect them to continue in a positive manner

3) Hull FC (-2) - Demonstrated character to take the lead against Castleford having been 18-6 down at one point and, in two-try full-back Jamie Shaul, Hull FC had one of the most dynamic performers of the weekend.

But their old fault lines reappeared to see them miss out so they fall down from top spot both in Super League and The Yorkshire Post Power Rankings. The Hull of old would follow up that sort of defeat by also going on and lose to Wigan at home this Friday; will Lee Radford’s 2016 vintage prove they are made of sterner stuff?

4) Widnes Vikings (+3) - Shooting up three places following an impressive win at Huddersfield Giants, their first victory there since 1996, Widnes are the new early leaders of Super League, mainly though because they have played an extra game than most of their rivals.

Nevertheless, Denis Betts’s side - tipped by some to finish comfortably in the bottom four - have been quietly authoritative and there is a sense this could be the year they come of age.

The visit of coachless and depleted Hull KR on Friday offers them a perfect chance to strengthen their hold on No 1 spot.

5) St Helens (+1) - Had to work hard to see off a stubborn Hull KR but finally got there in the end, mainly due to the return of the peerless James Roby from injury.

Saints needed that victory badly after their World Club Series shambles and an embarrassing loss against Salford but is it enough to kick-start their season?

In-form Castleford will no doubt cause them all sorts of problems on Friday.

6) Wigan Warriors (+2) - Grateful to a referee’s mistake for the match-winning try in their 20-16 victory against Salford, Wigan are not complaining.

That was a third successive league win and they look solid enough but news England hooker Michael McIlorum is unlikely to play again this season is a savage blow to their chances of success.

An under-rated player at times, he is integral to their best work and Hull own No9 Danny Houghton will certainly be looking forward to making the most of his absence on Friday.

7) Catalans Dragons (+2) - Moving up due to their win against Leeds but Catalans are still far from impressive. They made hard work of seeing off the injury-ravaged champions which should not have been the case with all their big-name signings on show and especially being at home. They will look to start ridding their ‘away-day blues’ tga at Wakefield on Sunday but Trinity will certainly view the French side as vulnerable so it is a massive test of Catalans’ ability to make a challenge in 2016.

8) Salford Red Devils (-4) - Falling down four places is a tad unlucky given they were only denied a point against Wigan due to an official’s major blunder.

Having trailed 16-2 to come back to 16-16, character is certainly aplenty in this Salford side which has not always been the case in recent years.

Tackling Warrington on Thursday will be a good gauge of whether their otherwise impressive opening to the campaign is genuine or just another false start.

9) Huddersfield Giants (-4) - Dropped four places following their home defeat to Widnes when depleted Giants lost yet another player to injury.

Scrum-half Jamie Ellis is the latest to get crocked, suffering a dislocated collar bone, which not only leaves Paul Anderson still awaiting his first points of the season but shorn of another key playmaker.

He will hope to have some numbers back for the trip to champions Leeds - the only side below Huddersfield in the table - on Friday and they desperately need a win to ease their malaise.

10) Hull KR (+2) – Moved up a couple of places on the back of a spirited display against St Helens and in the wake of head coach Chris Chester’s sacking. Plenty of character on show and suggestions that they can turn the corner soon under Willie Poching’s temporary command. That said, losing scrum-half Albert Kelly to injury is another cruel blow especially with captain Terry Campese yet to return from his knee reconstruction and certainly not being risked on Widnes’ artificial pitch this Friday.

11) Wakefield Trinity (-1) - Failed to build on their first win at Hull KR when falling against Warrington but that was always going to be a tough gig. Wakefield will fancy their chances more when it comes to Catalans Dragons- always dodgy travellers - arriving at Belle Vue on Sunday in the day’s only Super League game, especially if captain Danny Kirmond is fit to resume after injury.

12) Leeds Rhinos (-1) – Bottom of Super League and bottom of rankings, struggling champions Leeds are doing it tough.

Who would have thought Friday’s home game versus Huddersfield - first versus third in last season’s final table - would be a battle of the bottom two after four weeks of the new season?

They won’t care how they do it but Leeds know they must deliver against their similarly-depleted opponents. The perfect time for Brett Ferres, the England second-row who switched clubs amid controversial circumstances in January, to show his international form for Rhinos.