St Helens secure 36-12 win over 10-man Castleford to preserve play-off bid
A dominant display by six try-scorers kept St Helens’ Super League aspirations alive, while Hull FC and Toulouse also claimed victories in a pivotal round of fixtures.
St Helens have kept their Super League play-off hopes alive with a commanding 36-12 victory over Castleford at the Brewdog Stadium. The result was secured through a balanced attacking effort, with six different players crossing the line for the Saints, who built a significant first-half advantage before seeing out the contest.
The match was defined by a disciplinary incident that saw Castleford kicker Scott Hastings sent off for violent conduct following an altercation with St Helens’ Tyler Dupree. The dismissal left the Tigers playing with 10 men for the final 45 minutes, a challenge St Helens interim head coach Eamon O’Carroll said his side managed by simplifying their game plan.
O’Carroll noted that the reduced numbers provided a clear test of the squad’s attitude, with the players maintaining their roles and positions effectively. While St Helens finished the game with 10 men after Alex Walmsley and Chris Matagi were sin-binned, the temporary dismissals did not derail their momentum.
The result comes during a turbulent week for Castleford, whose former head coach Ryan Carr announced his departure for "personal reasons" on Friday. The Tigers’ director of rugby, Chris Chester, indicated that the club would leave the specific details of Hastings’ dismissal to the disciplinary match review panel.
In other Super League action, defending champions Toulouse defeated Hull KR 32-12 at Craven Park. The victory marked Hull KR’s second home defeat in a week, following a loss to Warrington on Tuesday, and kept Toulouse’s pursuit of a home play-off berth on track.
Meanwhile, Hull FC climbed to 11th place in the table after a narrow 27-26 win over Catalans Dragons at the Gilbert Brutus Stadium. The match was decided by a late drop goal from Jake Arthur with six minutes remaining, securing only Hull FC’s second victory in their last 10 Super League games.
