Rugby League: Castleford 6 - 46 St Helens
St Helens thrashed Castleford to maintain perfect Super League start
They continued their strong start to the 2025 Super League season with a dominant victory over Castleford Tigers, running in nine tries to claim a comprehensive win at the Mend-A-Hose Jungle.
The Saints' emphatic performance sees them top the early Super League table on points difference, edging ahead of Warrington Wolves and Hull KR after back-to-back wins.
Joe Batchelor, Kyle Feldt and Jonny Lomax all crossed in the opening 15 minutes, putting the visitors firmly in control. Agnatius Paasi, Harry Robertson (twice), Alex Walmsley, Jack Welsby and Jon Bennison added to the tally in the second half to seal a commanding win.
Castleford’s only try came through Sylvester Namo in the first half, but it was little more than a consolation on a difficult night for the hosts. The Tigers have now lost both of their opening league matches and were also dumped out of the Challenge Cup by Championship side Bradford Bulls. They end the evening in 11th place.
The contrast between the two teams' starts to the season was stark. St Helens have been in superb form in their first two games, while Castleford have endured a tough opening, including a golden-point defeat to Hull KR.
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It was one-way traffic from the outset, with Saints seizing control early on. Welsby’s short pass set up Batchelor to power over from close range for the opener, before former North Queensland Cowboys winger Feldt produced a fine one-handed finish to extend the lead. Lomax then latched onto Mark Bennison’s deft kick to score the third inside 15 minutes.
Castleford finally broke their duck after half an hour, with Papua New Guinea international Namo forcing his way over – the first try St Helens have conceded this season.
The hosts had a golden opportunity to score again soon after, as new signing Daejarn Asi sliced through midfield with a blistering turn of pace. However, instead of spreading the ball wide, he opted to go alone, only to be crowded out as the chance went begging.
Sensational second-half performance from St Helens
The gap was just eight points at half-time, but any hopes of a Tigers comeback were quickly dashed as Saints picked up where they left off, starting the second half with the same blistering intensity.
Castleford put up a strong defensive effort, holding off several attacking sets on their line, but Paasi eventually broke through to extend the visitors’ lead.
Teenage centre Robertson then underlined his growing reputation with a superb piece of skill, throwing a deceptive dummy that fooled three defenders before cutting inside to score. Meanwhile, prop Walmsley was rewarded for his powerful carries throughout the night with a try of his own.
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Saints weren’t done yet though, adding three more tries to cap off an emphatic victory.
Robertson bagged his second after a pinpoint pass from Welsby, who then turned from provider to scorer himself. The final try of the night came from winger Bennison, rounding off the rout with the last play of the game.
After a disappointing sixth-place finish in 2024, St Helens are determined to make amends this season, and their early attacking form is an encouraging sign.
Next up, they travel to Wakefield Trinity next Saturday. However, having only faced amateur side West Hull in the cup and a weakened Salford Red Devils last week, their real tests are still to come.
For Danny McGuire’s Tigers, the challenge now is to kickstart their campaign when they visit Leeds Rhinos on 2nd March.
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