Reserves narrow loss to Leeds

Castleford Tigers Reserves were just edged out to a defeat by Leeds Rhinos Reserves at The Mend-A-Hose Jungle on Saturday afternoon.

The big team news heading into this game was that halfback Danny Richardson would be playing in his first match since suffering a fractured neck injury back in February's season-opening Super League game. Furthermore, Sosaia Feki was in line to feature too after not being registered in time by Featherstone Rovers with whom it has been agreed he would go on a fortnight loan spell. However, Feki sadly had to pull out of the game during the warm-up, simply as a precaution and was replaced by Phoenix Tooala.

The Tigers got off to a dream start five minutes in, a penalty for interference at the play of the ball gave them good field position and strong left-edge play opened up for Josh Thornton to register the opening points, with Richardson slotting over the first of five conversions. The Fords made it back-to-back scores following the first, Sam Hall orchestrating the play firstly with a strip and then a small break and offload for Jack Sadler to score and give Cas a 12-0 start.

Leeds began to get themselves into the fixture, Cas were defending ably to keep them at bay initially. Junior Vasuitoga went for an interception to stop the threat but knocked on, his frustration was very clear as he slammed the ball down. The visitors then moved it right and Kiedan Hartley dived into the corner - the kick was missed though.

Chris Spurr's charges wanted to grab more of a foothold in the game following Leeds getting their first points, and despite losing Sadler to an injury they got the next score. From a scrum, Richardson threw a long-range pass out to Elliot Wallis to dive in, and the halfback tacked on the extras from way out wide to make it 16-4.

Leeds grew more and more into it but Castleford errors did not help, coughing up the ball after strong goal-line defence allowed a pass to go out to Aaron Jones-Bishop which Jack Mallison converted the extras for. Then just before half time some soft defence allowed Mekhi Bridgeman-Reaney to go the length of the field and score under the posts for an easy Mallinson conversion to close out the opening forty 18-16.

A steady start looked like Cas were in control, much like how the game started, Charlie Harris forcing a goal-line drop-out with a clever short grubber kick on the short side. Richardson the commanding half called out what he wanted on the right edge and fired out a pass to Junior Vasuitoga who sprinted into the corner. Richardson nailed the conversion from the wing to make it four successful kicks in a row.

It didn't take Rhinos long to fire back into the game, their hooker Cameron Berry scooted from the play of the ball near the line to ground the ball. Mallinson added his third two-pointer and then followed it quickly after with a converted try of his own. Jones-Bishop spotted a gap in the defensive line and kicked ahead for the Leeds half to race towards and ground before it ran out of the field of play.

Trailing by four (24-28) the Tigers made the task even harder, following a bad tackle Elliot Wallis was sent to the sin bin. Leeds capitalised quickly piling pressure on the Cas try line, a six-again aiding their efforts and Joe Gibbons charged through a gap to score, with Mallison kicking the two again.

Down to twelve men, the Tigers did hold firm to only concede one try during that ten minutes despite lots of play within their own twenty-metre line. Shortly after Willis came back on, Richardson made a big break upfield and juked around the tackle attempts, he looked to his left and found Willis who supported the run to score. A man of the match performance from Richardson who did not look like a man who was playing his first game back after a fracture in his neck, he kicked his fifth conversion to make it 30-34 with ten to go.

It was a bad restart for Cas though, Leeds were able to get the ball back and grind their way forward. A short, drop-off pass to Gibbons let him make a short run into the in-goal area and move under the sticks for an easy Mallinson conversion to all but secure a win for Leeds with less than five minutes to go.

Junior Vasuitoga gave the Tigers hope and set up what was hoped to be a grandstand finish, with the ball in hand on the right edge he moved and created some space and raced around 30 metres to score in the right corner. In his efforts he, unfortunately, suffered a head knock and had to be taken off the field with a couple of minutes left. Richardson with the clock ticking forced the kick just wide, his first miss of the fixture.

Sam Hall in the dying embers of the game made a terrific break to cut up the centre of the pitch, with Cas wanting to steal a victory right at the end but a knock on all but ended the game.

Full Time: Castleford Tigers Reserves 34-40 Leeds Rhinos Reserves

Castleford Tigers Reserves

Will Groves, Junior Vasuitoga, Caleb Stanley, Josh Thornton, Elliot Wallis, Charlie Harris, Danny Richardson, Sam Hall, Jack Sadler, Lewis Ransome, Brad Martin, Callum Beety, Toby Mallinson.

Interchanges: Adbullah Balogun, Jamie Mvula, Danny Attley, Phoenix Tooala

Tries: Thornton, Sadler, Wallis (2), Vasuitoga (2)

Goals: Richardson 5/6

Sin Bin: Willis

Leed Rhinos Reserves

Brandon Pickersgill, Kiedan Hartley, Mekhi Bridgeman-Reaney, Aaron Jones-Bishop, Mackenzie Turner, Oli Field, Jack Mallinson, Joe Hird, Cameron Berry, Nathan Snee, Joe Gibbons, Liam Carr, Danny Salkeld

Interchanges: Tom Holroyd, Charley Bodman, Jacob Beer, Billy Davies

Tries: Hartley, Jones-Bishop, Bridgeman-Reaney, Berry, Mallinson, Gibbons (2)

Goals: Mallinson 6/7