Castleford Tigers fans made their way to the Mend-A-Hose Jungle cheered by the news that coach Daryl Powell had today extended his contract until 2022, and hoped that he would celebrate by delivering a win against the old enemy from Headingley as the Leeds Rhinos swung into town.

Fresh on the back of a confidence boosting win over the Catalans Dragons, the Leeds Rhinos made just one starting change with Ava Seumanufagai returning from compassionate leave and replacing Mikolaj Oledski in the starting line-up for Richard Agar's side. New Rhinos signing Rhyse Martin was named on the bench. A win would lift the Rhinos back into the ninth spot which they lost to the Huddersfield last night, after the Giants won at Salford.

Greg Eden and Mitch Clark returned for the home side replacing  concussed Jake Trueman and Tuoyo Egodo as the Tigers looked to cement their place in the top four.

The video referee came to the Rhinos rescue on five minutes when he ruled out a try for an earlier knock-on.

After some good early pressure from the Rhinos the errors started to creep into their game and they twice gifted the Tigers possession. Following back to back penalties, and a Tigers scrum for a knock-on, the Rhinos defence held firm in the face of a Tigers onslaught.

After defending their own line for almost ten minutes a brilliant break from Adam Cuthbertson took the Rhinos downfield and two plays latewr Cuthbertson was involved again and offloaded to Trent Merrin to crash over under the sticks. Liam Sutcliffe added the extras for a 6-0 lead.

On twenty-six Konrad Hurrell had a try ruled out after he was offside from the kick. It was end to end action with both defences on top.

Richie Myler made an awful attempt at a drop goal on thirty-six and it was the Tigers who finished the game on the attack in the Leeds twenty but they were unable to score and the Rhinos went into the break with a 6-0 advantage, no mean feat when they had spent so much time defending.

Leeds second came three minutes after the restart with Jack Walker on hand to capitallise on a Tom Briscoe break and take the pass to cross from twenty-five metres out. Sutcliffe kicked the goal from under the sticks for a 12-0 Rhinos lead.

Leeds were awarded a penalty on fifty-four when Paul McShane made a second effort in the tackle. Sutcliffe kicked the goal for a 14-0 lead, the home sides supporters starting to show their disquiet.

The Rhinos were put on a team warning on the hour mark and within a minute James Clare took a Cheyse Blair pass to score with a summersault into the corner. Mata’utia was unable to convert from the touchline, the Tigers off the mark but still ten points adrift.

The Tigers second came three minutes later, again from Clare, this time off a Greg Minikin pass after Leeds new boy Rhyse Martin had put the kick off out on the full. Jordan Rankin added the conversion from wide for 10-14. The Tigers were getting the rewards for their masses of earlier pressure.

A Blair knock-on from a reckless miss-out pass gifted Leeds possession inside the Tigers twenty on seventy-two and on the third tackle Robert Lui found a gap in the defensive line to walk over for the Rhinos third try of the night. Sutcliffe was unable to add the conversion, the Rhinos 18-10 ahead with six minutes remaining.

This was a new Rhinos side which we saw tonight. They took on a decent Castleford Tigers side on their own patch and despite withstanding masses of pressure they dug deep and ground out a very important win which lifts them back into ninth spot and within two points of eighth. The Tigers threw everything that they had at the visitors but came off a distant second best against their near neighbours and arch rivals.

Tigers: Mata’utia, Clare (2T), Minikin, Blair, Eden, Rankin (G), Aston, Watts, Milner, Smith, Sene-Lefao, McMeeken, Massey.  Subs: McShane, Millington, Cook, Clarkson.

Rhinos: Walker (T), Briscoe, Newman, Hurrell, Handley, Lui (T), Myler, Cuthbertson, Dwyer, Seumanufagai, Sutcliffe (3G), Ferres, Merrin (T).  Subs: Smith, Donaldson, Martin, Singleton.

Referee: Ben Thaler.

Half-Time:  0-6.

Full-Time: 10-18.

Attendance: .