Four in a row for Tigers

Castleford beat Huddersfield 44-18 to move into the top eight with a fourth straight win.

The Giants are hanging on in the play-off positions just ahead of the improving Tigers, but may struggle to stay there as the regular season reaches its most crucial stage.

Tries from Leroy Cudjoe and Jamahl Lolesi had got Huddersfield off to a flyer, but the home side hit back to lead 18-14 at the interval after Craig Huby, Rangi Chase and Steve Snitch all crossed.

Ryan McGoldrick and prop Huby quickly extended Cas' lead, and Kirk Dixon and Chase put a seal on the win, while Joe Westerman ended with 12 points after a flawless display with the boot. Shaun Lunt added his second try late on for the visitors, but it was no more than a consolation.

The Giants made the perfect start from their first set of six. England stand-off Kevin Brown's kick through was played at by Dean Widders and when the ball bounced back to Brown he weighted a perfect chip to the corner for Cudjoe to dot down his 17th try of the campaign. Brett Hodgson added the extras.

And the hosts fell further behind in the eighth minute after they had given away a needless penalty for slowing down the play the ball.

Brown's pass freed Cudjoe who fed Lolesi to score in the corner, but Hodgson failed with the sideline conversion.

Cas finally enjoyed some field position courtesy of two powerful carries from Joe Westerman, and when a penalty on the final tackle gave them another set on the Giants line they made it pay as Huby reached out to score from close range, Westerman kicking the goal.

And seconds later the Tigers were ahead. Giants winger David Hodgson fumbled Chase's kick ahead back over his own line and the Cas half-back was on hand to touch down. Westerman added the extras for a 12-10 lead in the 20th minute

But Huddersfield soon hit back as Danny Brough and Brett Hodgson combined to put Shaun Lunt over, although full-back Hodgson was again off target with the boot.

Cas centre Michael Shenton raced clear after hovering up a dropped Huddersfield pass close to his own line, only for referee Thierry Alibert to make the baffling decision to stop play for a scrum to the hosts.

But any sense of injustice was shortlived as Widders saw his own kick bounce back into his hands off a Huddersfield body and his inside pass sent Snitch over just before half-time. Westerman again added the two extra points.

Momentum

The Tigers took the momentum from that score into the start of the second half and McGoldrick soon extended the lead as he leapt highest to grab Chase's high kick under the crossbar and Westerman maintained his 100% record by adding his fourth goal.

The stunned visitors fell further behind just four minutes later as Huby took a short pass from Chase to twist through two tackles for his second of the afternoon, again converted by Westerman.

Some sound handling on the right allowed Widders to put Kirk Dixon over for an easy finish to kill the game off, the faultless Westerman slotting the tough conversion from the touchline.

The Giants got a consolation back through Lunt, before Chase intercepted a loose Luke Robinson pass to race clear and round off an impressive win.