Salford v Castleford.
Craig Lingard deserves real credit for the work he’s done at Castleford Tigers this season. The club had a real slow start losing their first six matches and struggled to get past Batley in the Challenge Cup. They beat Salford to get their first win at the seventh attempt in a thrilling match at Wheldon Road 36-24 at the start of April. They’ve won three games on the trot in July including a very impressive victory away at St.Helens and last Sunday’s win over Catalans was another step in the right direction for Super League’s most improved club. Close defeats to Hull Kingston Rovers and Wigan last month highlighted this sides potential and if Salford are going to get their season back on track this week they will have to be wary of the Tigers.
Salford’s run in looks a real tough one. Nearly every team we play now has got an eye on the top six. Leigh, Huddersfield and Castleford are quite a way behind in the League table but if wins are strong together the picture can change again.
Friday night at Huddersfield was a disappointing result. Salford looked in control particularly in the first half. The interception try from Sam Halsall put the Giants back in the match and if Marc Sneyd would of took the two from the penalty moments before Salford would of been 2-8 up. Of course it’s all in hindsight but it just shows how the momentum of games can swing from one team to the other. The Giants seemed to play to a totally different structure under Luke Robinson. They threw the ball around and chanced their arm. One or two 50/50 calls went against Salford but that’s Rugby League. On the whole I think Huddersfield deserved the victory.
The Red Devils have two home games now against Castleford and Leeds. Two matches that should be treated as cup finals because two wins would be a massive boost for the top six aspirations of Paul Rowley’s side!
Super League home record.
Salford 12
Draws 0
Castleford 15
1999 Salford 17 Castleford 29
2000 Salford 16 Castleford 22
2001 Salford 18 Castleford 26
2002 Salford 16 Castleford 74
2002 Salford 10 Castleford 20
2004 Salford 30 Castleford 14
2006 Salford 26 Castleford 16
2009 Salford 12 Castleford 18
2010 Salford 22 Castleford 28
2011 Salford 8 Castleford 15
2012 Salford 10 Castleford 24
2013 Salford 34 Castleford 30
2014 Salford 23 Castleford 16
2015 Salford 20 Castleford 22
2016 Salford 22 Castleford 18
2017 Salford 13 Castleford 12
2017 Salford 4 Castleford 23 ( super eights)
2018 Salford 6 Castleford 24
2019 Salford 26 Castleford 16
2019 Salford 22 Castleford 0 (playoffs)
2020 Salford 30 Castleford 37 (played behind closed doors at Headingley)
2021 Salford 18 Castleford 28
2022 Salford 30 Castleford 14
2023 Salford 14 Castleford 6
2024 Salford 26 Castleford 22
They played for both.
Throughout the Super League era there have been plenty of players who have played for both clubs and quite a few through the 1970s and 80s.
Here is a selection of them ;
Paul Orr, Bill Kirkbride, Jonny Ward, Barry Kear, Ron Hill, Ian Bragger, Justin Carney, Chris Charles, Jason Critchley, Luke Dorn, Greg Eden, Jake Emmit, Jason Flowers, Matt Gardner, Ashley Gibson, Wayne Godwin, Weller Hauraki, Lee Jewitt, Michael Korkidas, Francis Maloney, Mike Platt, Paul Fletcher, Darren Rogers, Jordan Turner, Darren Shaw, Mark Sneyd, Gray Viane, Derrell Olpherts, George Griffin, Niall Evalds and Gareth O’Brien.
A match to remember Sunday March 16th 1997.
Salford Reds 4 Castleford Tigers 0
After two excellent seasons outside the top flight, a day Salford supporters will remember for ever in the cup against Wigan and a Divisional premiership victory at Old Trafford 1997 saw our first step in to the glamorous new world of The European Super League.
Salford Reds had started 1997 in good form with a resounding victory away at Castleford in The Challenge cup. Progress was made to the cup semi finals with a 8-4 win over Paris and a 10-29 win at Warrington. It’s fair to say The Reds went in to this league encounter in top form.
It was a very nervous affair with both side defending well not giving much away. The Tigers were led by power house forwards Lee Crooks, Nathan Sykes and Dean Sampson came up against Salford’s formidable pack which was big and mobile. The vast experience of Peter Edwards, Andy Platt and Paul Forber along with the tough as teak David Hulme lined up for The Reds.
The match was Settled by local winger Phil Coussons try in the corner.
A late kick and chase from Castleford three quarter Simon Middleton had the Salford faithfuls nerves jangling. The ball ran dead at the Variety club end of the ground as the hooter sounded.
Things got even better for Andy Gregory’s side with four more consecutive league victories to make 1997 a season to remember.
The teams that day,
Salford Reds, Rogers, Sini, Naylor, Mcavoy, Coussons, Blakeley, Lee, Southern, Edwards, Eccles, Forber, Cartwright, Randall.
Subs, Martin, Savelio, Watson, E.Faimalo.
Castleford, Flowers, C.Smith, Gay, Goddard, Middleton, Vowles, Orr, Crooks,
St Hilaire, Sampson, Harland, Richardson, Tuuta.
Subs, T.Smith, Sykes, Smales, Steadman.
Attendance, 5,726.
Referee, Stuart Cummings.
Saturday’s match.
I’ve got a feeling their could be one or two changes to the seventeen this week. Jayden Nikorima will be available, Sam Stone is set to return and Tim Lafai is nearing fitness. One player I thought was absolutely outstanding last Friday was hooker Joe Mellor. He worked his socks off for eighty minutes, was solid in defence and always a threat on attack. At thirty three years of age Mellor has lots of experience. After starting his professional career at Wigan where he impressed he was loaned out to Harlequins and Widnes. After signing for Widnes in 2013 he spent six seasons their and averaged a try every three games playing mainly as a half back. A real fan’s favourite with the Chemics he played for Toronto in a short spell before another very successful stint with Leigh. Mellor still has plenty to offer at the top level and Rowley is getting the best out of him at hooker.
Tex Hoy who signed for the Tigers mid-season from Hull really seems to have found his home in West Yorkshire. Jacob Miller and Rowan Milnes have formed a very exciting partnership at half back and to me this is the key to any sides success. If you get the stand off and scrum half right the rest of the team can sometimes fall into place. Joe Westerman has played sixteen of the clubs eighteen games so far this season and at the age of thirty four he shows no signs of slowing down. After making his debut for Castleford seventeen years ago Westerman has played well over four hundred top flight matches. He’s impressed in both the meetings with Salford in 2024 and he’ll be one to watch on Saturday.
When the two sides met at Wheldon Road in April Sam Wood and Innes Senior were so dangerous on the edges. In recent weeks Alex Mellor has been centre to winger Senior and both lads are well over six foot tall and can cause plenty of damage.
The two meeting so far between the two sides have both been cracking matches with plenty of tries and excitement. I’ve got a feeling this Saturday will be exactly the same.
The action gets under way at 3pm.
Safe travels and enjoy the match.
Paul Whiteside.
Big thanks to Steve McCormick for the photos and the Salford match day programme.