Castleford RUFC

Castleford RUFC suffered a narrow 18-17 defeat away at Burley RUFC in a fiercely contested encounter that went right to the final whistle.

Tries from captain Mark Poppleton, colt Lex Leadeatt—on a memorable senior debut—and back rower Liam Hands had Castleford in control for large parts of the game. However, the momentum shifted midway through the second half when Castleford were reduced to 13 men following red cards to Ian Mattison and Kyle Kesik.

Despite the numerical disadvantage, Castleford continued to battle bravely, with the defence standing strong under sustained Burley pressure.

Player of the Match honours were shared between two outstanding colts: Joao Balde, who was a physical presence throughout in the back row, and Leadeatt, whose pace and composure made a big impact on the wing.