While the Castleford Tigers are safely away from being in any danger of picking up the 2024 wooden spoon, they have only pride to play for in their remaining four games as they are almost certain to end the season in tenth spot after a difficult start which has seem them manage just six wins in their fourteen outings.

Hull FC, on the other hand, are still in danger of the ignominy of finishing the season in bottom spot and ending round twenty-seven below last season’s promoted Championship side the London Broncos who had failed to recruit pre-season in the full knowledge that the IMG grading system would mean that they would be relegated regardless of how they performed on the field in 2024.

The crowd entered the MKM Stadium more in hope than expectation of a decent game.

It was the best possible start for the Tigers with fast hands from right to left ending in the clasp of Innes Senior who put his head down and went for the line to leap and ground in the corner before being tackled dead in goal. Rowan Milnes added the touchline conversion.

FC opened their account on their first real attack of the game on ten minutes when Ligi Sao took a neat Jack Charles pass to power over to the right of the uprights. Charles was on target with the conversion to level the scores.

From the restart the Tigers won a scrum and from the back of that Milnes ripped through a terrible Hull defensive effort to dot down and when he added the conversion to his own try the six-point advantage was regained.

On fifteen Jensen Windley opened his Tigers scoring record when Joe Westerman broke the Hull line and found the youngster in support to score under the sticks. Milnes added a third conversion for 18-6, already it was a festival of points scoring.

Will Tate should have added a fourth Castleford try on twenty-two but spilled the ball under the tackle in the act of scoring. Two minutes later the boot was on the other foot as Jason Qareqare denied Jordan Lane as he went for the Tigers line.

On twenty-five Tex Hoy was the beneficiary of a Tate break and looping pass which saw him bust a tackle and ground. Milnes was on target again for a 24-6 lead.

There was some respite for Hull on thirty-five, Harvey Barron in space down the right wing to take the pass and push away Milnes to ground one-handed in the corner. Charles was unable to add the conversion from the touchline, Hull trailing by fourteen points.

Three minutes later Barron was in for his second as he took a Charles looping pass and went over in the same spot as his previous try. Charles was again wide with the conversion, the difference between the two sides just ten points at the interval.

A late shot from Sylvester Namo saw the Tigers man sin-binned on forty-six minutes. The home side took full advantage with Carlos Tuimavave taking a pass from Herman Ese’ese to go over from twenty metres with the Tigers defenders unable to get a hand on him. Charles found the target from bang in front for 20-24, Hull right back in the game.

A slipping Tom Briscoe was hit high by Liam Horne on fifty-four and the Tigers man was shown a yellow card by referee Rush, the visitors now down to eleven men.

The cards were coming thick and fast on sixty-one with Yusef Aydin the third player to be shown yellow, this time for a high tackle which resulted in a penalty for the Tigers which Milnes kicked to put his side six points clear.

The Tigers further extended their lead on sixty-six, Namo somehow finding his way to the line through a crowd of players and grounding on the line by the right upright. Milnes kicked his sixth goal of the afternoon.

With ten minutes remaining Milnes kicked a fifteen metre drop goal to extend the lead to thirteen points, Hull FC condemned to another defeat, opening the door for London to get off the bottom on Sunday afternoon when they take on the Leeds Rhinos.

Castleford went further ahead on seventy-four, Hoy getting his second of the game as he burrowed under the FC tacklers to ground by the left upright. Milnes was on target for the seventh time for a final score of 39-20.

Yet another defeat for the Airlie Birds as their miserable season continues. They showed some signs of a fightback either side of half time but in the end it was the Castleford Tigers who were way too strong for the home side as they secured their seventh win of the season to get within a point of the Huddersfield Giants in ninth place.

Hull FC: Moy, Barron (2T), Tuimavave (T), Briscoe, Martin, Smith, Charles (2/4 G), Ese’ese, Houghton, Gardiner, Lane, Sao (T), Aydin (SB on 61).  Subs:  Ashworth, Balmforth, Eseh, Ruan. 18th Man: Jebson.

Castleford Tigers: Hoy (2T), Qareqare, Hooley, Tate, Senior (T), Milnes (T, 7/7 G, DG), Windley (T), Watts, Horne, Westerman, Mellor, El-Zakhem, Hill.  Subs: McShane, Lawler, Mustapha, Namo (T, SB on 46). 18th Man: Cobb.

Half-Time: 14-24.

Full-Time: 20-39.

Score Progression: 0-4, 0-6, 4-6, 6-6, 6-10, 6-12, 6-16, 6-18, 6-22, 6-24, 10-24, 14-24 :HT: (SB), 18-24, 20-24, (SB), (SB), 20-26, 20-30, 20-32, 20-33, 20-37, 20-39 :FT.

Lead Exchanges: Castleford – Square - Castleford.

Referee: Liam Rush.