Castleford Secures Victory Over Bradford with Qareqare's Hat-Trick

The Castleford Tigers achieved a decisive 40-28 win over the Bradford Bulls in the sixth round of the Super League at The OneBore Stadium. This matchup was a rematch of one of the opening fixtures from the inaugural Super League 30 years ago, making it a fitting start to the celebratory weekend on Thursday night. The Tigers' victory marked their first back-to-back home wins since April 2024. Following a disappointing 72-6 loss to the Warrington Wolves the previous week, Castleford's head coach, Ryan Carr, called for a strong response from his team, which they delivered to secure their second win of the season. Castleford took an early lead with Jason Qareqare scoring a hat-trick and Darnell McIntosh adding another try, with Tom Weaver successfully converting three out of four attempts. Bradford fought back with a converted try from Esan Marsters, two penalties from Luke Hooley, and a try from Joe Mellor but trailed 22-16 at halftime. The Tigers then pulled away with a series of tries from George Lawler, Tom Weaver, and McIntosh's second, establishing a 24-point lead. Although Bradford managed to close the gap slightly with Hooley's try, they were unable to overcome the deficit, and Marsters' late try only narrowed the final score to 40-28. The game was marked by both teams' intent to play expansive rugby, resulting in an exciting contest with multiple lead changes. Castleford's head coach, Ryan Carr, expressed pride in his team's performance, stating that it was the response they needed after a tough week.