Tigers extend perfect start

Castleford maintained their perfect start to the new Super League season with an 18-12 victory over Huddersfield making it two wins from two in 2011.

The Tigers handled the terrible conditions at the newly-named PROBIZ Coliseum the better as they kept up an impressive early start to their Engage Super League XVI campaign.

Australian winger Nick Youngquest scored a try in each half on his home debut, the second a contentious score, as the Tigers successfully followed up their big opening-day win over Wakefield.

Castleford, who gave a debut to 17-year-old hooker Daryl Clark, produced a near-perfect opening 40 minutes to take control and then withstood a brief fightback from an out-of-sorts Huddersfield to clinch a deserved victory.

Both sides went into the game on the back of impressive opening wins indoors at the Millennium Stadium but the Giants struggled to adapt to the conditions on a cold, wet night and they surrendered possession all too easily.

Testers

After an opening in which both sides tested each other out, the only try of the first half came after 14 minutes when Castleford's playmaker-in-chief Rangi Chase put in a well-placed kick to the corner for Youngquest to collect and cross unopposed for his first try.

Kirk Dixon added the touchline conversion and increased his side's lead with a second goal after 25 minutes when referee Steve Ganson awarded the first penalty of the match.

The penalties increased, along with the handling errors, as the game developed into a scrappy affair.

Dixon missed a chance to edge the Tigers further ahead when he was wide with a 40-metre penalty but the home side were good value for their 8-0 interval lead.

But coach Nathan Brown's pep talk clearly did the trick for the visitors were a much more lively outfit in the second half.

Right winger Jermaine McGillvary pulled a try back within two minutes of the re-start, taking Scott Grix's long pass to finish decisively at the corner, and Danny Brough added the conversion.

Drop

Huddersfield stand-off Kevin Brown ought to have added another try but he dropped Lee Gilmour's pass with the line beckoning and the let-off proved costly.

The decisive moment came after 56 minutes when Giants full-back Grix was tackled over his own line as he attempted to clear the danger and the ball came loose.

Youngquest touched the ball down and video referee Richard Silverwood gave him the benefit of the doubt in awarding the try despite suggestions of an illegal ball steal.

Huddersfield had barely recovered from the blow when the Tigers struck again, Dixon reaching Danny Orr's high kick to the line ahead of his opposite number David Hodgson and palming the ball back for Joe Arundel to score.

Dixon was off target with both conversion attempts but found the mark with a penalty seven minutes from the end after Huddersfield hooker Shaun Lunt had been sin-binned for a late tackle on Chase as the visitors finished with 12 men.

But at least the Giants had the last say when McGillvary scooped up the ball from Brown's speculative kick in stoppage time to score his second try and Brough added his second goal.