Castleford 14 Huddersfield 40: Thorman hammers weakened Cas

Chris Thorman scored 20 points as Huddersfield finished with a flourish at the Jungle yesterday.

Castleford, ravaged by a sickness bug, were level at the interval but rarely threatened in an error-strewn second period. Thorman, the Giants' stand-off, scored a try and kicked eight goals from nine attempts.

In the 74th minute, Huddersfield's Kiwi centre Paul Whatuira scored following a 90-metre break by the full-back Leroy Cudjoe, then the prop Darrell Griffin charged over from close in and, in the last minute, Thorman crossed to seal a comprehensive victory.

Two tries in three minutes had put Huddersfield in charge in the first period. Stephen Wild and Whatuira put the winger David Hodgson in at the corner for the 100th try of his career. The back-rower Jamahl Lolesi scored the Giants' second try after Luke Robinson and Kevin Brown's approach work.

Castleford, who had taken the lead with a Craig Huby penalty, hit back on 22 minutes when the winger Richard Owen scooped up a pass in the corner.

A Thorman penalty gave Huddersfield a six-point advantage but it was all square at the break after the Tigers half-back Luke Dorn pounced on a kick from Brent Sherwin for his 16th try of the season.

After 58 minutes a former Castleford captain, Ryan Hudson, burrowed his way over for the Giants. Within a minute of taking the field, the Cas substitute Michael Korkidas was sent to the sin-bin for a late challenge, letting Thorman stretch the lead to 20-14.

Griffin and the Tigers half-back Ryan McGoldrick were shown yellow cards for fighting, before the late points flurry.

Castleford: Donlan; Owen, Shenton, Lupton, Wainwright; Dorn, Sherwin; Higgins, Henderson, Huby, Guttenbeil, Westerman, McGoldrick. Substitutes used: Korkidas, Boyle, Sargent, Arundel.

Huddersfield: Cudjoe; Aspinwall, K Brown, Whaturia, Hodgson; Thorman, Robinson; Mason, Hudson, Griffin, Wild, Lolesi, Raleigh. Substitutes used: Crabtree, Jones, Jackson, Kirmond.

Referee: R Silverwood (Dewsbury).