It was fourth bottom against fourth top as the new boys in Super League, the London Broncos, had a Saturday early evening fixture against the Castleford Tigers. The Trailfinders Sports Ground in west London was the venue as a decent away following from West Yorkshire ensured a cracking atmosphere.
At this early stage in the season a win by more than twenty points would lift the Broncos above their opposition, but the odds were against it with Castleford as strong favourites to consolidate their position, a twenty-two point win being enough to see them into top spot.
Inside the fifth minutes Paul McShane scooted from acting half-back and found Peter Mata’utia in support for the full back to go through a big gap and score by the uprights. McShane added a simple conversion.
Four minutes later and a nice flowing move from right to left saw Rhys Williams free on the overlap to go over unopposed and ground one-handed. Kieron Dixon kicked brilliantly from the touchline to level the scores.
On sixteen the Tigers 'never say die’ attitude saw them keep the ball alive on the last tackle and after three last ditch passes Jacob Trueman found a gap to run the angle to score. McShane added the conversion, the visitors back six ahead.
Junior Moors extended the lead on twenty-six crashing the line and dropping over to score from short range off a McShane pass. McShane was again accurate with the boot as the Tigers eased to an 18-6 lead.
Jay Pitts went over on his back on twenty-eight but referee Mikalauskas referred the decision to the video referee who turned it down, ruling that he’d been held up.
When Greg Eden broke down the left wing and found Jesse Sene-Lefao in support, the Tigers second rower edged Castleford closer to the two points. He did a good job of improving the angle and McShane kicked his fourth goal of the afternoon to send his side into the sheds at 24-6.
There were just three minutes on the second half clock as Liam Watts took a pass from Adam Milner, juggled the ball, and then grounded over the line. McShane made it five from five and the Tigers were out of sight.
Greg Eden became the Tigers sixth try scorer of the afternoon as he exploited a massive overlap on the left to go in by the corner flag. McShane blotted his copy book with his first miss of the afternoon but it would make little difference to the outcome of the game.
Lackluste tackling of Michael Shenton by the Broncos defence allowed him to extend his run before putting in a looping pass to allow Jordan Rankin to go over under the sticks. Rankin took over the kicking duties for a 40-6 lead, the Broncos managing to hold the visitors at bay until the final hooter.
It was three from three at the start of the season for the Castleford Tigers as they executed a near perfect game plan, and recorded enough points difference to see them reach the top of the table, jumping above St Helens. There was some scintillating rugby, with the ball given plenty of air, and the London Broncos had no answer to Daryl Powell’s men.
Broncos: Adebiyi, Williams (T), Kear, Dixon (G), Abdull, Cunningham, Ioane, Lovell, Pitts, Fozard, Fleming, Morgan, Yates. Subs: Battye, Pelissier, Richards, Mason.
Tigers: Mata’utia (T), Clare, Minikin, Shenton, Eden (T), Trueman (T), Rankin (T, G), Watts (T), McShane (5G), Millington, Sene-Lefao (T), Clarkson, Massey. Subs: Milner, Moors (T), Cook, Egodo.
Referee: Scott Mikalauskas.
Half-Time: 6-24.
Full-Time: 6-40.
Attendance: .
