Academy strong win over Hull FC

The Tigers set off in a brilliant fashion by making metres and pushing the Black & Whites back onto their own line, a crash ball from Sam Hall bagged the first points of the game just three minutes in, with Caelum Jordan on kicking duties adding the extras.

Adam Rusling’s kicking game impressed throughout, moving Hull back but his first threatening attacking kick was a delicate chip to the left corner for centre Brad Graham, who had to juggle it back into his own control and then place down near the wing. Jordan kicking the conversion from out wide with the wind in his favour.

A ten-minute period of both side’s trading sets followed and steadied the Airlie Birds after Castleford’s early scores, that was until Hall made a break through the line and the Fords trying to press the opportunity with passes to the left edge but a final pass to Josh Milthorpe was bundled forward. Hall would get a deserved brace shortly after with another crash over ball near the try line, again converted by Jordan.

It took three back-to-back sets on the Tigers try line for Hull FC to get six points scoreboard around the half-hour mark through Ben McNamara. However, the Fords’ goal-line defence did look good in the build-up to it, but neither side held back in their tackling efforts with big shots aplenty!

Just before the referee blew the whistle for half time, Cas kept pressing for a fourth score and got the Black & Whites on the back foot. Coach Tony Smith was heard commenting on Will Shaw that “he loves a barge over” just before he did exactly that near the line from dummy half for a four-pointer. Caelum Jordan added his fourth conversion of the half to make it 24-6 as the sides headed into the sheds for the break.

The Tigers had laid a great platform for the second half and did not rest on their laurels, five minutes into the second period a left edge play saw Graham hold off a pass to draw in the Hull winger and pass to Milthorpe for a diving score at the corner. Jordan’s kick came across the face of the posts for his first miss.

More solid defence was needed from Cas with Hull searching for a spark to get back into the fixture, but they were held out despite having back-to-back sets within the Tigers 10 metres. Another left side play worked well to unlock Hull, Brad Graham not hitting the final pass out to his winger this time, instead, he chose to step inside and plant it down for his second try. Jordan missed the conversion.

With the game looking increasingly out of Hull’s hands, Cas turned the screw rolling them down the middle and then near the whitewash Sam Hall looked to be going for a third crash ball try but instead he threw a neat little pass to Louis Collinson for a score, which Jordan converted from bang in front of the posts. ‘Buster’ (Collinson) would not have to wait long for his second either, great passing work from the Tigers piled the pressure on Hull and made space in the middle of the field. Collinson followed it well for the final pass and his second score under the sticks for an easy Jordan conversion.

A late consolation for Hull FC came off a high ball by Hookem which Litten caught and then darted his way around a Cas man to plant down a converted try, but arguably the best score of the game came last. Mackenzie Scurr during the game looked very impressive especially from kick returns, in the dying minutes he charged along the wing to get his side into good ball position. Cain Robb then made a break upfield himself and gave the ball to Danny Attley who then threw a long, over the top pass to Adam Rusling who caught the ball and held off a tackler to plant it down. Caelum Jordan added his seventh and final conversion of the game to bring the Tigers up to 50 points and close out a very strong performance.

FULL TIME: Castleford Tigers U19’s 50-12 Hull FC U19’s

Castleford
Charlie Harris, Mackenzie Scurr, Caelum Jordan, Brad Graham, Josh Milthorpe, Adam Rusling, Jack Sadler, Sam Hall, Cain Robb, Liam Buffett, Nathan Magee, Danny Attley, Louis Collinson

Interchanges
Callum Hutchinson, Alfie Cook, Tommy Gunn, Will Shaw, Ben Wood, Jacob Harte, Ethan Sutcliffe

Tries
Hall (2), Graham (2), Shaw, Milthorpe, Collinson (2), Rusling

Conversions
Jordan 7/9

*Picture Credit - Sam Shepherd