Castleford 6-24 St Helens: Alex Walmsley scores brace as St Helens open Super League campaign with victory at Castleford
Alex Walmsley scores a brace on his 250th appearance for St Helens as they follow up their World Club Challenge triumph with victory over Castleford Tigers in their opening game of the Super League season.
Last Updated: 26/02/23 5:13pm
Eleven thousand miles and 30 degrees celsius away from last week's World Club Challenge heroics in Penrith, it proved business as usual for four-time defending Super League champions St Helens as they kicked off their domestic campaign with a 24-6 win at Castleford.
Story of the match
A late brace from Alex Walmsley - marking his 250th appearance for the club in style - ensured there would be no ill effects for a Saints side that had endured a nightmare 53-hour trip home from Down Under and were shorn of star names including Tommy Makinson and James Roby.
Castleford were ultimately punished for failing to seize on a series of first-half chances and their day was summed up by a calamitous error from winger Bureta Faraimo, who intercepted from Jonny Lomax late on and charged clear only to find touch with his arm as he grounded the ball.
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Smarting from last week's abject display at Hull FC, Lee Radford's side started well and handed their opponents a major wake-up call with less than two minutes on the clock when Jordan Turner sent Jake Mamo galloping over halfway but his poor pass inside led Niall Evalds to knock-on with the try-line at his mercy.
It would prove the story of the home side's day, with Mamo's mishandling a recurring feature of their failure to capitalise on advances down the left flank and when Saints' debutant Tee Ritson was denied a 10th-minute opener by the video referee, it ought to have focused Castleford minds.
Instead the momentum swung Saints' way, Mamo's poor distribution leading to a knock-on and from the following set the visitors burrowed forward before unleashing the always-alert Jack Welsby to cross under the posts.
Mark Percival kicked the first of his three-consecutive conversions and Saints might have extended their lead but for a shabby play-the-ball by Louis McCarthy-Scarsbrook that relieved some concerted pressure on the Castleford line and left the hosts within touching distance at the interval.
Home optimism lasted six minutes of the second half before Lomax eluded two Cas tackles to create space on the right and a simple off-load to Ritson enabled the former Championship stand-out to cross for his first top-flight try.
Castleford responded through Evalds, who issued a defence-splitting pass out to Jack Broadbent on the left, and when he was caught high by Welsby, referee Chris Kendall had little hesitation awarding a penalty try, with Gareth Widdop adding the extras.
Walmsley's late double - each time bulling through a flagging home rearguard from close-quarters - wrapped up victory for St Helens, with Lomax assuming the final kicking duties to seal a thoroughly business-like performance from Paul Wellens' side.
What they said
St Helens coach Paul Wellens...
"I was really proud of them today because they showed a real toughness and resilience again and that was probably the toughest thing to do off the back of last week.
"I know a lot of people in the game won't see this win in the same way as they saw the Penrith game last week, but to me it is every bit as impressive, to come out here and be able to get the job done in the way they did.
"You wrestle with what to do in terms of how you approach the situation because it is an unknown for everybody, particularly with travelling back from Australia and with sore bodies after that game.
"I was keen for us as a team to put down a marker and approach 2023 with a strong mindset. I sat down with all the players and they made it quite clear they were in the same thought process as me, so we picked our strongest 17 available.
"We knew the performance wouldn't be perfect and we will have to keep a close eye on the next few weeks, but what this group does is find a way when things get tough."
Castleford coach Lee Radford...
"We created enough chances to win two games of rugby but that's where we've got to develop and grow as a team.
"We've got to learn to stay in that fight and show the stiffness that those fellows have shown to put four (championship) rings on their fingers.
"Credit where it's due, the reason they've got such a target on their backs is their ability to stay in arm-wrestles and land that sucker punch when the opportunity presents itself."
What's next?
Castleford return to action against Hull FC on Friday, March 3, while St Helens face Leeds Rhinos live on Sky Sports that night.
