Castleford Tigers Fight Back to Stun Hull FC 18-14 at MKM Stadium
Castleford Tigers overturned a second-half deficit to beat Hull FC 18-14 in Round 23 of the Betfred Super League at the MKM Stadium, claiming their third away win of the season in dramatic fashion.
Trailing 14-12 as the match entered its closing stages, Castleford found a late try to snatch the result — a finish that belied a campaign in which the Tigers have shipped heavy defeats, including a 52-14 loss to Wakefield Trinity and a 48-18 reverse against Warrington Wolves. Interim head coach Andy Last, taking charge with regular boss Ryan Carr absent for personal reasons, made four changes to the side that had won the Steve Prescott Cup in their previous outing. Hull FC
Castleford's tries came from Renouf Atoni, Mikaele Ravalawa, and Liam Hood, with Weaver converting all three. Hull FC crossed through Joe Batchelor, Harvey Barron, and Lewis Martin, but managed only one goal from Sezer — and that gap proved decisive. BBC Sport
The first half had pointed a different way. Castleford led 12-6 at the break, but Hull FC hit back after the interval to edge 14-12 ahead before the Tigers' late rally settled it. James Vella refereed.
In rugby league, a try (grounding the ball over the opponents' try-line) is worth four points, with a goal (kicked between the posts) adding two. So scoring three tries and converting all three gives you 18 — exactly Castleford's margin of victory.
The win carries a subplot. Former Huddersfield Giants playmaker Luke Robinson was cutting short a holiday to begin as Castleford's new assistant head coach, taking training on Monday. The club posted a statement titled "Holding Position" on 13 August, a day before kick-off. BBC Sport
For Hull FC, the match came in the same week the club confirmed the marquee arrival of Australian half-back Daly Cherry-Evans for next season. The Manly Sea Eagles legend — one of the NRL's most decorated playmakers — will link up with Hull in 2027, giving fans a tangible reason for optimism despite this narrow defeat.
The result also reversed some recent history between the sides. In April, Hull FC hammered Castleford 50-10 at Wheldon Road, scoring nine tries in what was Andy Last's first match as the Black and Whites' interim boss — a post he held before crossing the Pennines to join the Tigers' staff. Hull FC
Castleford's women's side have had a rougher time of late, falling 36-0 to Hull KR on 9 August and 54-4 to Warrington Wolves in the Women's National Championship. The Tigers' wheelchair team, by contrast, have been flying — a 128-2 demolition of Wakefield Trinity Wheelchair followed by a 60-34 win over Gravesend Dynamite.
Castleford's men are next in action at home to Catalans Dragons on Friday 28 August. Before that comes a trip to St Helens on 22 August — two fixtures that will test whether this late fightback in East Yorkshire was a turning point or a brief reprieve.
