Betfred Super League
St Helens (30) 36
Tries: Welsby, Wright, Douglas, Humphrey, Sailor, Macdonald Goals: Hastings 5 Sailor
Castleford (0) 12
Tries: Senior, Laulu-Togaga’e Goals: McNamara 2
St Helens beat Castleford Tigers to maintain their faint Super League play-off hopes – despite captain Jackson Hastings’ needless red card.
He was sent off for punching Tyler Dupree and will now be suspended as Saints finished with 10 players with Alex Walmsley and Chris Matagi also shown yellow cards.
St Helens marked Kevin Walters’ appointment as their head coach for next season by scoring through Jack Welsby, Shane Wright, Jacob Douglas, Tom Humphreys, Harry Robertson and Nene Macdonald.
Louis Senior and Phoenix Laulu-Togaga’e replied for Castleford, whose defeat came a day after the club confirmed head coach Ryan Carr had departed for “personal reasons”.
Despite the victory, Saints still probably need to win their three remaining regular games to avoid missing out on the play-offs for the first time in Super League history.
They dominated from the start and raced into a 12-0 lead after just eight minutes when Welsby intercepted a pass to run 65 yards to score before Wright dummied to the right before cutting inside to touch down.
Douglas went over in the right-hand corner on 22 minutes before 18-year-old Humphreys recorded his first try on his 11th appearance two minutes later to round off a super break.
The excellent Harry Robertson then made the break to set Sailor up to score under the posts for a 30-0 lead before Hastings and Dupree lost their cool off the ball.
Hastings punched Dupree, cutting him above the left eye, and referee Tom Grant sent off the Saints man and sin-binned his opponent.
Dupree was furious and clashed with Cas coach Scott Murrell, who stopped him trying to chase down the tunnel after Hastings.
Saints’ 12 men scored their sixth try in the 48th minute when Macdonald touched down from Robertson’s kick.
Castleford eventually made their extra-man advantage count when Senior went over in the left corner on 52 minutes with Ben McNamara adding the two points on his debut.
Laulu-Togaga’e crowned a flowing move by the visitors, going over under the posts before Walmsley and Matagi were sin-binned late on to reduce Saints to 10 men, although the game was already long over as a contest by then.
St Helens: Sailor; Douglas, MacDonald, Welsby, Cross; Robertson, Hastings (c); Davies, Host, Wright, Walmsley, Shorrocks, Suluka-Fifita.
Interchanges: Humphreys, Keeley, Evans, Matagi; Marsh.
Red card: Hastings (40).
Sin bin: Walmsley (76), Matagi (80).
Castleford: Laulu-Togaga’e; Ravalawa, Mellor (c), Brand, Senior; Asi, Weaver; Atoni, Hood, Lawler, Lane, Hirst, Stimson.
Interchanges: Dupree, Brown, Vaalepu, McNamara; Robb.
Sin bin: Dupree (40).
Referee: Tom Grant.