Champions Hull KR thrash Cas to extend fine run

Betfred Super League

Hull KR (34) 50

Tries: Lawton 2, Amone, Davies 3, Hadley, Lewis, Burgess Goals: Martin 7

Castleford Tigers (0) 6

Tries: Mapapalangi Goals: Asi

Reigning champions Hull KR completed a 100% winning run in April by demolishing Castleford 50-6 at Craven Park to cut the gap on leaders Leeds to two points.

After a sluggish start to their title defence, Hull KR have become a juggernaut again and made it six straight victories in all competitions with a commanding, one-sided win.

Treble-winning coach Willie Peters is leaving at the end of the season for Papua New Guinea but is now seeing his side back to their best.

They had gone 40 years without a league title before they beat Wigan Warriors in the Grand Final in October and look like contenders once more as they move up to third place.

Conversely, Castleford shipped 50 points to Hull FC a week ago and will be sick of the sight of teams from the eastern end of the M62 after another hefty defeat.

The visitors put in an error-strewn first half, missing 22 tackles, and were punished by the ruthless champions.

Karl Lawton opened the scoring after KR jumped on a loose ball and soon took advantage of more sleepy defending to drive through a gap and over for his second.

Castleford could not gain any territory or momentum and the Robins soon had a third when debutant Phoenix Laulu-Togaga'e lost the ball in a tackle just a few metres out and Tom Amone scooped up to score.

Tom Davies was then on the end of quick hands to score in the corner after beating a tame tackle from Jason Qareqare and a fourth successful kick from Rhyse Martin put KR 24-0 up after 33 minutes.

Hull KR were scoring with every set as Elliot Minchella put a grubber kick through on the last tackle for Dean Hadley to touch down before wing Davies' acrobatic finish in the corner capped a sensational move on half-time.

Castleford were their own worst enemies again at the start of the second half as Darnell McIntosh spilled the ball behind the tryline to allow Mikey Lewis to fall on the ball and score a seventh try of the night.

Cas finally mounted some sustained pressure but could not score and Joe Burgess soon found the corner at the other end.

Davies slid in for a brilliant hat-trick score with six minutes left on the clock to bring up 50 points before Castleford finally got on the board with seconds left when Laulu-Togaga'e kicked through and Krystian Mapapalangi scored.

Hull KR coach Willie Peters speaking to BBC Radio Humberside: "I am really pleased. We had to earn it, the tries didn't come easy and we built a lot of pressure. I am most pleased with defending our tryline for large periods of the second half.

"We learned from last week, it was a bit scrappy in the second half but overall it's close to our best performance of the year. If we keep that attitude to defend our line we will be hard to beat.

"Tom Davies hadn't scored a try for ages which has been a bit of a joke in training but he got three today and we have the players to be able to score points and we are showing that over the last few weeks."

Castleford coach Ryan Carr speaking to BBC Radio Leeds: "I felt like we did actually physically go after them which pleased me but some fundamental errors have cost us. We gave up six tries on fifth tackle which makes it too hard - two tries we dropped the ball on the tryline.

"You can't do drills for that. It's 101 of rugby league. We had to compete hard in the second half and we did that.

"I'm not pleased with the result but pleased with the fight. We don't accept that conceding 50 points is ok but we will fight hard to get out of it."

Hull KR: Broadbent, Davies, Hiku, Gildart, Burgess, Lewis, May, Hadley, Lawton, Amone, Martin, Batchelor, Minchella.

Interchanges: Litten, Luckley, Whitbread, Brown, Booth.

Castleford: Laulu-Togagae, McIntosh, Cini, Mapapalangi, Qaraqare, Asi, Weaver, Atoni, Dwyer, Dupree, Lane, Mellor, Stimson.

Interchanges: Greacen, Hall, Robb, Nicholson-Watton, Beckett.

Referee: Jack Smith