Castleford Tigers lost their fourth straight game to open up the Super League season but it was comfortably their worst performance yet and that’s seen fans calling for change.
Huddersfield Giants headed to The Jungle, a stadium that Ian Watson had revealed was among his favourites in Super League and he’ll have certainly enjoyed his night there with the Giants running out as 50-8 winners.
Castleford Tigers went behind early on and the Giants piled the pressure on to lead 24-4 at halftime but it was the second-half where Castleford truly collapsed.
Having pulled one back through Innes Senior they were then outscored 26-0 with all five of the Huddersfield tries coming in the final 15 minutes to put Craig Lingard’s side to the sword.
That level of collapse perhaps came in part due to injury issues the club are undergoing, but it’s still a shocking statistic and one that has seen plenty of fans turn on the club.
Castleford Tigers fans in meltdown after they ship 50
The nature of the loss in which so many points were shipped late on has seen plenty of Castleford Tigers fans call into question the recruitment.
One fan called for the purchase of “budget signings” to be abandoned in a plea for ownership to change and potentially allow new investor Martin Jepson to take more control.
That fan posted on X, stating: “Get out of our club. Fulton and Wilson take your budget signings and lack of ambition and give our club to someone who wants to win things.”
Get out of our club. Fulton and Wilson take your budget signings and lack of ambition and give our club to someone who wants to win things @ctrlfc
— Mark F (@Pleyndamour) March 8, 2024
It seemed that Castleford Tigers could do no right as well with even the social media team dropping a blunder as they shared an incorrect final score graphic, labelling 50-8 as the “half-time score”, instead of the full-time score.
Fans quickly jumped on that, one noting: “Can’t even get graphic wrong we are rotten to the core nothing has changed cheap and nasty now.”
Can’t even get graphic wrong we are rotten to the core nothing has changed cheap and nasty now
— Jack Westmoreland (@SirJackWest) March 8, 2024
Some assessments saw fans criticise the effort but the notion that the squad had been built “on the cheap” was strong among several fans.
Short and sharp reality of trying to build a team on the cheap
— Danny Page (@DannyP95_) March 8, 2024
Poor no effort no heart too small too weak too cheap
— Jack Westmoreland (@SirJackWest) March 8, 2024
One fan labelled the loss embarrassing before exclaiming how ‘humiliated’ they would be when turning up to work on Monday.
They posted: “How embarrassing, I’ve got to go and work with a load of hudds fans on Monday, it’s humiliating!”
How embarrassing, I’ve got to go and work with a load of hudds fans on Monday, it’s humiliating!
— Ben FeytowtSupowt🦈👂🤛 (@wakeywhite) March 8, 2024
Craig Lingard also came in for criticism for not appearing on Sky Sports to front questioning.
“Get the head coach to put a interview out now explaining what the f*ck he’s been doing with this lot in the close season. Play the f**king academy lads at least they will give it everything,” one fan argued.
Get the head coach to put a interview out not explaining what the fuck he’s been doing with this lot in the close season. Play the fucking academy lads at least they will give it everythjng!
— Donny-Reds (@donnytykes) March 8, 2024
That was echoed by another: “No lingard come out to talk on sky sports no surprise disgrace to the fans.”
No lingard come out to talk on sky sports no surprise disgrace to the fans
— Brian campy (@BCampy56222) March 8, 2024
The Tigers will hope to fare better next week however the face the daunting trip to Perpignan to face Catalans Dragons which will be a worry for many fans.
