Warrington Wolves returned to the top four with a comfortable win over Castleford Tigers, who put in yet another confusing performance.
After losing 52-14 against 12-man Wakefield last week, Castleford fell to a 48-18 defeat with the Tigers scoring just a penalty in the final hour of the game after racing into a 16-6 lead.
It was more than a win for Warington as they also welcomed back full-back Cai Taylor-Wray, who bagged himself an assist during the second half onslaught of Castleford.
Adam Holroyd had given Warrington the lead early on but three tries in seven minutes proved an emphatic response from Castleford, though a switch seemingly flicked at the 20-minute mark. Matty Ashton, Toby King and Toff Sipley would cross before the half and despite a penalty stemming the flow, Warrington continued into the second half.
James Harrison, Leon Hayes, Matty Ashton and Ben Currie would all score tries
Castleford Tigers and Warrington Wolves talking points
Mystery team Cas
It’s been said for much of the season that the only that is consistent about Castleford is their inconsistency and it’s proven true again, not just from game to game, but also from set to set.
The Tigers started slow but then registered three quickfire tries to race into a 16-6 lead and it appeared that Ryan Carr’s side were in for another shock win, however, that hope didn’t last long.
They’d completely switch off and be exposed for each of Warrington’s three first-half tries and from there, they folded with Wire picking up in the second 40 where they left off in the first.
It’s easy to say that Ryan Carr can’t be held accountable because his side are so prone to switching off but he’s the man who sets the tone and the mentality, and that’s something that must change in the off-season.
Rapid Warrington
One of the big reasons why Warrington were able to so handily punish Castleford is just how quick they were at the play the ball and that’s a credit to Danny Walker and their mobile forward pack.
Walker shone in the loss against Leigh and he was even better today as he offered intensity from dummy half but he was helped a lot by his pack, who were rapid with their play the balls.
One man who was particularly impressive was Toff Sipley, who made a huge impact off the bench, as Warrington rolled it back to the early rounds of the season when the ruck speed was rapid.
Whether they can do it against teams with more punch in their pack is the next test, but the fact they’ve welcomed Cai Taylor-Wray back and could soon have George Williams suggests that Warrington are only just getting started.
CTW returns
As mentioned, Cai Taylor-Wray made his long-awaited return and Sam Burgess was cautious in how he used the full-back, playing him off the bench as fellow youngster Lachlan Webster started at full-back.
CTW did come on early in the second half, after Wire had opened up a two-score lead and got themselves comfortable, and his impact was obvious.
He registered the assist for Matty Ashton’s second try with a smart over-the-top pass to the winger with the full-back shadowing the halves and offering real threat out of backfield that had Castleford doubting their defensive line.
Repeat or revenge
Warrington won this game 72-6 earlier in the year and after the Tigers’ dismal showing last week, there will have been understandable fears at the Jungle that there could well have been a repeat.
However, at the 20-minute mark after Castleford had scored three tries in seven minutes, those fears will have diminished but it didn’t take long for them to re-emerge as the Tigers promptly folded and Warrington took charge.
Ewan Irwin, who kicked 12 goals in the reverse fixture, brought his kicking boots again as he converted all eight tries and would constantly threaten the line and create chances for his teammates in what was a comfortable win. Defeat also meant that Castleford have conceded 100 points in their last two games, with the Tigers conceding 40 or more for the sixth time in just 21 games this year.
Play-offs (almost) secured
Warrington are not mathematically safe in the six, far from it with seven games to go, but this was a performance that showed plenty and with their fixture run, they should be safe.
Wire showcased ruck speed that will terror any team but they also showed defensive grit, holding out the Tigers for long periods in the second half as they defended back-to-back-to-back-to-back sets on their line.
Before Saints play, they’re four points safe inside the six, and their fixtures pit them against just Hull KR and Wakefield, both away, in terms of games against top six sides with their other five all coming against teams in the bottom six.
Back to winning ways 🐺#SuperLeague pic.twitter.com/5xKF1g4smo
— Betfred Super League (@SuperLeague) August 1, 2026
