Castleford brush aside coaching turmoil to defeat Hull FC

Castleford Tigers secured only their third away win of the Super League season, defeating Hull FC 18-14 at the MKM Stadium despite ongoing turmoil within their coaching staff.

Head coach Ryan Carr remains absent for personal reasons, forcing former Huddersfield Giants player Luke Robinson to cut short his holiday and step in as assistant coach for Monday's training session.

Hull had entered the match in high spirits following the announcement that Australian rugby league great Daly Cherry-Evans will join the club next season, but the news did not translate into victory on the pitch.

Castleford opened the scoring in the ninth minute when Renouf Atoni powered through two defenders to score. The visitors extended their lead when winger Mikaele Ravalawa touched down in the corner after a length-of-field passing move. Hull thought they had a try when Harvey Barron intercepted and ran the length of the pitch, but the score was disallowed for a late tackle. Castleford went into the break leading 12-0 after a penalty goal.

Hull fought back through tries from Joe Batchelor and Barron, and briefly took the lead in the second half when Lewis Martin crossed for his fifth try against Castleford in four games. Castleford responded through hooker Liam Hood, who forced his way over in the 68th minute to reclaim the lead and seal the victory.

The result lifts Castleford to ninth in the Super League table, four points above Hull, who sit 12th.