Tigers rip Crusaders apart

Castleford got back to winning ways in emphatic fashion, running in 10 tries to rout sorry Crusaders 56-16 at the PROBIZ Coliseum.

Kirk Dixon scored two tries and booted eight goals to finish with a personal haul of 24 points for the Tigers, who had seen their unbeaten start to the season come to an end seven days ago at Bradford.

In contrast, Crusaders have now lost six on the spin and find themselves still stuck on minus two points at the foot of the Super League table.

Their cause wasn't helped by having three players sin-binned in the opening half and it took them an hour to register on the scoreboard.

Indiscipline

By that stage the game was long since over as a contest, Castleford making their indisciplined oponents pay with 22 unanswered points in the first half.

They went ahead after just five minutes when a cross-field move involving Rangi Chase, Danny Orr and Richard Mathers set up Dixon in the corner.

The winger added the touchline conversion and then nearly scored again five minutes later, his charge halted just inches short of the try-line.

Stuart Reardon did have an effort ruled out for the visitors before a brawl in the 18th minute saw referee Ben Thaler sin-bin three players.

Former Crusaders winger Nick Youngquest was shown a yellow for his part in the melee, while the visitors lost Vince Mellars and Michael Witt for 10 minutes.

The Tigers capitalised on their numerical advantage by doubling their lead shortly before the Crusaders pair returned to the field.

Teenager Daryl Clark forced his way over from dummy half after substitute Paul Jackson was held up over the line on the previous play.

Crusaders were then reduced to 12 again in the 34th minute when full-back Clinton Schifcofske was sin-binned for throwing a spare ball onto the pitch in an apparent attempt to slow down play when the Tigers were in possession.

Dixon's second touchdown came with the Welsh club shorthanded and Dean Widders forced his way over for a try just two minutes before the interval.

One-way traffic

It continued to be one-way traffic at the start of the second half; Youngquest's superb break created Clark's second of the afternoon and then Chase set up Brett Ferres for Castleford's fifth try in just the 50th minute.

New boys Willie Isa, handed a starting berth by coach Terry Matterson for the first time, and Mathers touched down for their first tries for the Tigers.

Crusaders finally responded through Reardon, and they gave some respectability to the scoreline with further efforts from centre duo Mellars and Tony Martin, Schifcofske kicking two of his three attempts at goal.

However the Tigers, who had seen Youngquest score in the 68th minute, refused to allow their opponents to have the last word, Arundel rounding out a fine performance for the hosts with the final try in the closing stages.