The last game before the split into the Super Eights for the runaway leaders Castleford Tigers saw them take their hoard of fans to the south of France sunshine for a game against the Catalans Dragons.

The league leaders could go ten points clear of the chasers with a win, just two wins away from securing the Minor Premiership with seven games to play. The home side had nothing to play for but pride and a little bit of form going into the Middle Eights competition where they will be fighting for their Super League survival.

Castleford were the strong favourites with the bookies but the partisan home crowd hoped that they were wrong and that their side could spring a surprise.

It was a lively start to the game and both sides had chances to open the scoring. On nine minutes it was the visitors who took the lead when Jy Hitchcox flew over in the corner after beating two tacklers for pace after taking a Michael Shenton pass. Luke Gale converted brilliantly from the touchline to get the league leaders elect underway. Gale added another two points from a penalty four minutes later for 8-0.

On eighteen minutes Zak Hardaker scored a superb solo try going the length of the field down the right wing to outpace the Dragons defence and score. Gale added another two points for 14-0.

Rather than allow a Castleford procession Julian Bousquet drew two defenders and put Lucas Albert free to dive under the sticks. Tony Gigot kicked a simple conversion from in front of the uprights to reduce the arrears on twenty-one.

On twenty-seven minutes a Krisnan Inu break and fend found Tony Gigot in support to round the last Tigers defender to score the Dragons second. Gigot added the conversion to reduce the arrears to just two points.

The Dragons hit the front on thirty-six when Fouad Yaha spun out of a tackle and then bounced off Zak Hardaker to ground in the left corner, getting injured in the process of scoring. Gigot converted from the touchline for 18-14.

On the stroke of half-time Hardaker kicked a forty-eight metre penalty to reduce the arrears to two points but after the Tigers dominated early on, the Dragons had fought back brilliantly for their half-time lead.

Twelve minutes into the second half and the Tigers regained the lead. Keeping the ball alive through a Gale kick, knock back and several passes, Greg Minikin had the ball with one defender in front of him. He chipped forward and won the race to ground one handed before the rolling ball crossed the dead ball lline. Gale added the extras for 22-18.

On sixty minutes Kevin Larroyer was sin-binned for an ‘inappropriate tackle’ on his ex-team mate Vincent Duport. He was joined on sixty-seven by Mick McMeeken after he was guilty of giving away the next penalty after a team warning.

Just over a minute later and the Dragons were back ahead when Duport had the ball kicked from his hand by Hardaker while in the act of scoring. The referee passed it up to the video referee as a ‘NO TRY’ and he overruled the decision giving the Dragons a penalty try. Gigot kicked the conversion from in front of the sticks for 24-22.

Six minutes from time the lead swapped again as an airborne Hitchcox scored a sensational try with the rest of his body over the touchline after taking a short pass from Shenton. Gale again converted from the touchline for a 28-24 lead.

Paul McShane sealed the win on seventy-eight when he picked up a loose ball to jink past the Dragons defence and dive over for Castleford’s fifth try of the afternoon. Hardaker failed to add the extras but the Tigers had sealed a 32-24 victory.

It was an enthralling game which could have gone either way. The Dragons showed that they are in a false position as they drop into the middle eights competition and the Tigers showed that they can be vulnerable in some circumstances. In the end quality showed through and despite being down to eleven men at one point they dug deep and defeated a competent Dragons.

Dragons: Gigot (T, 4G), Tierney, Inu, Duport (T), Yaha (T), Albert (T), Myler, Moa, Aiton, Navarrette, Anderson, Horo, Bird. Subs: Bousquet, Garcia, Baitieri, Margalet.

Tigers: Hardaker (T, G), Monaghan, Minikin (T), Shenton, Hitchcox (2T), Roberts, Gale (5G), Massey, McShane (T), Sene-Lefeo, Foster, McMeeken (SB), Massey. Subs: Lynch, Cook, Holmes, Larroyer (SB).

Referee: Phil Bentham.

Half-Time: 18-16.

Full-Time: 24-32.

Attendance: .