Round four of the Super 8s got underway with the visit of fifth placed Castleford Tigers to third placed Huddersfield Giants and looking for a big win to get within striking range of the hosts third spot in the race for the top four.
The Tigers would be without Justin Carney, suspended for internal disciplinary reasons, and Michael Shenton through injury. The Giants fielded the same side for the second game running and hoped to back up the win at Saints a fortnight ago.
Somewhat against the run of play, and after a Scott Grix defensive error, it was the Tigers who opened the scoring when Luke Gale rounded three defenders off an Adam Milner pass to score by the posts. Gale added the extras and the travelling support were delighted.
Four minutes later on fourteen minutes Ashley Gibson scored the Tigers second, grounding in the corner after Ben Roberts bamboozled the Giants defence. Gale failed to convert but the Giants were rocking and behind by 10-0.
On eighteen Mike McMeeken was sin-binned for a trip and within seconds Ukuma Ta'ai crashed over by the left upright and Danny Brough added the extras.
Four minutes later and Jermaine McGillvary was on the end of a side to side passing move to cross in the corner and level the scores and a minute later he scored a sensational solo try from fifty metres out shrugging off three attempted tackles. On the second occasion Brough added the extras for 16-10 and an incredible turnaround in the space of five minutes.
On twenty-seven the Giants were becoming rampant when Jake Connor bust through some woeful Tigers tackling to go over in the left corner. Brough again failed with the conversion when it hit the upright but in less than ten minutes the Giants had turned a ten point deficit into a ten point lead.
Two minutes out from the break and Aaron Murphy got his name on the scoreboard on the overlap when Gibson came in off the wing to cover. Brough missed again and the Giants had a fourteen point lead going into the break.
Just as they had in the first half it was the Tigers who opened the second half scoring with just two minutes on the board when Luke Dorn dummied and dove over, grounding at the second attempt. Gale added the extras for 16-24.
On forty-eight the Giants had a Jamie Ellis try ruled out for offside.
There was an hour on the clock when Ben Roberts threw the dummy after being first receiver from a scrum on the Giants twenty, and went twenty metres to score. Luke Gale failed to do the extras leaving the Tigers a converted try from the lead.
Fourteen out from the end of the game and it looked like Joe Wardle had sealed the Giants win when he slid over in the corner after the ball went through half a dozen pairs of hands. Jamie Ellis had taken over the kicking duties but also missed the conversion attempt.
The game was put beyond doubt on seventy-two when Jamie Ellis scored on the zero tackle after the Tigers coughed up possession in their own twenty. Ellis converted for 34-20.
Four minutes from time and Eorl Crabtree added a try on his 400th appearance with a crash over from a couple of metres out. Ellis added the two for 40-20.
Denny Solomona scored a superb ninety-five metre solo effort as consolation for Castleford. Gale kicked the two and the final score was 40-26 to the Giants.
The Giants were up against it for the opening twenty minutes but when they hit their hot streak they were glowing red hot. The McMeeken sin-binning was the turning point and the game was lost by the Tigers when he was off the pitch.
The Giants are now clear in third spot and have edged closer to securing a play off spot but it is looking like an increasingly forlorn hope for the Tigers to get themselves into the mix.
Giants: Grix, McGillvary (2T), Cudjoe, Connor (T), Murphy (T), Brough (2G), Ellis (T, 2G), Crabtree (T), Robinson, Huby, Wardle (T), Hughes, Ta'ai (T). Subs: Lawrence, Kopczak, Leeming, Smith.
Tigers: Dorn (T), Gibson (T), McMeeken, Channing, Solomona (T), Roberts (T), Gale (T, 3G), Lynch, Milner, Wheeldon, Millington, Moors, Massey. Subs: Cook, Boyle, Springer, McShane.
Referee: Roberts Hicks
Attendance: 5,350
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