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Super League: Hull Kingston Rovers 8-28 Castleford Tigers

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Mike McMeeken of Castleford Tigers fumbles the ball at the try lineImage source, Rex Features
Image caption,

Mike McMeeken missed two opportunities to score for Castleford in the first half, but his late try helped the Tigers to wrap up victory at Craven Park

Betfred Super League

Hull KR (8) 8

Try: Crooks Goals: Brierley 2

Castleford Tigers (6) 28

Tries: Shenton, Richardson, Clare, McMeeken Goals: Richardson 6

Castleford Tigers scored 22 unanswered points as they came from behind to win at Hull KR and go top of Super League.

The Robins took an early lead through Ben Crooks' score and, after Michael Shenton replied for the Tigers, Ryan Brierley's goal put the hosts 8-6 up.

Castleford took control after Brierley was sin-binned, with Danny Richardson crossing and James Clare touching down acrobatically in the corner.

Mike McMeeken added a late try as Tigers made it back-to-back victories.

Hull KR, who have now lost four successive games, started brightly and went ahead as Crooks gathered Joe Keyes' cross-kick to notch his seventh try of the campaign.

Castleford initially spurned the chances which came their way, with McMeeken fumbling the ball over the line and then being held up, before Shelton put the finishing touch on a move started by Paul McShane breaking through the Robins defence.

But the game swung in the visitors' favour once Brierley was shown yellow for stepping across Grant Millington as the Tigers man looked to get on the end of a grubber kick with the tryline gaping.

Richardson ended with a personal haul of 16 points, with a flawless performance from the kicking tee adding to his score which put Tigers ahead 10 minutes into the second half.

Castleford are now two points ahead of Huddersfield and Wigan, having played two games more than the Giants and one more than Warriors.

Hull KR head coach Tony Smith:

"We were the better team for the first 23 minutes. After that, I thought Cas were.

"The sin-bin was harsh. After watching the replay I don't think it was a penalty.

"Two players are allowed to contest the ball and push with their shoulders. Obviously Chris Kendall saw it differently. Maybe that rule's been changed.

"We can't afford to have people off the park. We need 13 fit and healthy players on the field if we are going to compete with teams."

Castleford Tigers head coach Daryl Powell:

"We didn't start that great, which gave them a bit of a sniff of the game.

"They played with a lot of energy and we didn't have a lot of control over what was going on for the first 20 to 25 minutes.

"We had an awesome set at the start of the second half, they get a guy sin-binned and then we gradually had an ascendancy in the game.

"It wasn't our best performance but it was full of character and control in the second half. We have won four out of five so we are in a good place, but there are lessons to be learned from every game."

Hull KR: Dagger; Minikin, Kenny-Dowall, Linnett, Crooks; Keyes, Brierley; Murray, Litten, W Maher, Gee, Storton, Hadley.

Interchanges: Garbutt, Trout, Harrison, Minchella.

Sin-bin: Brierley (42)

Castleford: Rankin; Olpherts, Mata'utia, Shenton, Clare; Trueman, Richardson; Watts, McShane, Griffin, Holmes, McMeeken, Massey.

Interchanges: Millington, Milner, Blair, Smith.

Referee: Chris Kendall (RFL)

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