Tigers fall to defeat at home to Leopards

Cas were beaten by Leigh 34-16 at Wheldon Road.

The Tigers were made to work in defence in the early stages with back to back sets for the visitors. A huge hit on Leutele from Faraimo on the fourth left Leigh with one tackle to go. Lam on the last kicked dead and Cas were able to move up field. 

Cas came close after a six again got them in a great position on 9 minutes. Miller looked to find a gap and did so, but lost the ball in the act of grounding. 

Leigh broke the deadlock through Tom Amone on 17 minutes. Lam found a gap and broke through but was met by Westerman to deny him a chance at the line. Amone hit a ‘flat’ pass from Ipape and crashed over for the first score of the game. 

The Leopards extended their advantage just two minutes later through Lachlan Lam. The half back was there to meet a pass from Asiata and scoot over to dot down. 

On 25 minutes it got worse for the Tigers. Briscoe broke down the line easily to run in and dot down behind the sticks. 

Cas got their first points of the game on the half hour mark. A high shot on Westerman gave the Fords territory and their first meaningful attack of the game. Riley Dean stabbed a calculated kick through the Leigh line and Widdop was quickest to it to ground. 

2 minutes before the interval the Fords had another! A penalty for a late hit on Jacob Miller and the Tigers could smell the line. A neat move fom right to left and Edwards’ offload left an unmarked Wallis free to ground in the corner. 

Widdop’s successful conversion was the last action of the first 40, and the visitors took a slender 6 point lead into half time.

The visitors scored just 90 seconds after the restart. A six again in Leigh’s favour gave them a fresh set. The ball was passed left to right, missing out Leutele and finding Charnley out wide to score in the corner.

However, the Tigers responded. Leigh knocked the ball on on the half way mark after a failed offload and Cas were given head and feed at the scrum. They marched down the field and on the last tackle, they struck. A shift towards the left edge allowed Widdop to complete a beautiful pass out wide to Wallis who dived in for his second of the evening.

After a lull in the contest the Leopards found another breakthrough just after 20 minutes. They shifted left towards Charnley and after hitting his own man, the Leigh winger regathered and managed to find a way over.

7 minutes later, Lam got his second of the evening. A gap opened up and he scooted his way over under the sticks.

Jacob Miller looked to get a consolation Try with 5 to go. He met a pass from Widdop and raced towards the line before being caught just short and the ball came free. The Tigers were awarded possession back, and went again. Elliot Wallis thought he’d completed his hat trick, but was adjudged to have gone in touch.

Faraimo raced away on the hooter after an interception but was caught metres short and dragged into touch to finish the contest.

FULL TIME: Castleford Tigers 16-34 Leigh Leopards

Castleford Tigers: Widdop, Faraimo, Broadbent, Turner, Wallis, Dean, Miller, Watts, Johnstone, Griffin, Edwards, Mellor, Westerman 

Interchanges: Sutcliffe, Mustapha, Robb, Hall 

Leigh Leopards: O’Brien, Charnley, Leutele, Hardaker, Briscoe, Reynolds, Lam, Amone, Ipape, Nakubuwai, Chamberlain, Holmes, Asiata 

Interchanges: Mellor, Hughes, Davis, Wilde 

Scores: 

Castleford Tigers: 

Tries: Widdop, Wallis 2 

Goals: Widdop 2/3

Leigh Leopards:  

Tries: Amone, Lam 2, Briscoe, Charnley 2

Goals: Reynolds 5/6 

Golden Gamble: 03668 

Attendance 6344