Castleford 12-32 Wigan: Warriors back up Cup success with league win
Wigan backed up their Challenge Cup success with a come-from-behind victory at Castleford as Matt Peet’s side secured a 32-12 win.
Peet claimed his first major trophy at the first time of asking last week as the Warriors beat Huddersfield at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Challenge Cup match-winner Liam Marshall surpassed 100 career tries as Wigan bounced back to winning ways with a 32-12 win at Castleford.
The in-form winger also provided an assist for Bevan French as Matt Peet’s side recovered from 12-0 down after 33 minutes to claim a first league win since April 29.
However, a third successive defeat looked possible as Tigers dominated early on. They scored converted tries through Greg Eden and Kenny Edwards.
Instead, Wigan notched their first points with Lee Radford’s side down to 12 and then blitzed their hosts with three tries in 10 minutes at the start of the second period.
Match report
The Warriors started poorly as French’s handling error after six minutes gifted Tigers a repeat set and the lead.
Jake Trueman, who famously scored a first-half debut hat-trick against the Warriors back in 2017, provided a cut-out pass and Eden went over unopposed.
Eden’s touchdown was his eighth in Super League this season and 12th in all competitions.
Gareth O’Brien converted but missed an 18th-minute penalty to give Tigers a two-score advantage.
Wigan, however, lost centre Iain Thornley to a knee injury and then conceded a second try after 24 minutes.
On-loan Huddersfield back-row Edwards ran on to Trueman’s pass and straight through French and Oliver Partington to give O’Brien an easy conversion.
Wigan did not improve and Marshall was briefly denied his landmark try due to French’s forward pass.
Tigers, though, were reduced to 12 men, with Mahe Fonua sin-binned for kicking out in a tackle with Liam Farrell.
The visitors made the most of their advantage after 33 minutes. French this time nailed a pass and Marshall took his try tally up to three figures. Harry Smith missed from the tee.
HT: Castleford Tigers 12-4 Wigan Warriors
Fonua returned but O’Brien failed to reappear for the second half due to a game-ending calf injury.
Tigers’ fortunes suffered another set-back when Wigan reduced the deficit to two points with an inventive second try after 44 minutes.
French finished off, but his fifth of the season owed everything to Marshall’s kick and Jake Bibby’s initial offload to his wing man.
The visitors then hit the front for the first time five minutes later as Lebanon international Abbas Miski accepted Farrell’s offload to cross in the corner. Smith improved both.
Wigan were now in irresistible form and advanced 20-12 in front courtesy of French’s assist and Marshall’s second try.
Tigers were all but a beaten side. Wigan underlined their superiority with further tries in the final quarter from Bibby and Farrell.
FT: Castleford Tigers 32-12 Wigan Warriors
Castleford: Hampshire; Eden, Fonua, Faraimo, Olpherts; Trueman, O’Brien; Watts, McShane, Griffin, Edwards, Lawler, Westerman. Subs: Milner, Massey, Smith, Matagi.
Tries: Eden, Edwards Goals: O’Brien 2
Wigan: French; Miski, Thornley, Bibby, Marshall; Field, Smith; Singleton, Powell, Byrne, Farrell, Isa, Ellis. Subs: Mago, Partington, Havard, Shorrocks.
Tries: Marshall (2), French, Miski, Bibby, Farrell Goals: Smith 4