For the remaining eight Super League clubs the road to Wembley starts here as the sixth round of the competition now sees the entry of the sides who finished in the top eight slots last season. Two of those met at the KC Stadium tonight as Hull FC and the Castleford Tigers went head to head for a quarter final place.
The two sides are currently separated by two league positions and two league points but both sides were beaten last weekend and the Tigers came into the game on the back of three straight defeats and have only three wins in their last ten outings.
The home side were the favourites with the bookies, thanks to their recent form and higher league position, but this was the Cup and everything was to play for.
It was an awful start for Jack Logan who spilled the ball after going to ground, dislodging the ball when all he had to do was touch it down unopposed. The on-field referee gave a try but was over-ruled on video evidence.
The Tigers immediately benefitted after moving the ball down to the Hull end and after a Joe Westerman ball steal, Peter Mata’utia kicked a thirty-five metre penalty to put the visitors ahead.
On nine minutes Jake Connor was Hull’s hero after splitting the Tigers defence off a Danny Houghton pass to go over from ten metres and stretch to ground. Sneyd added the extras with confidence for 6-2. The lead was extended after a high tackle on Scott Taylor, and in off the post penalty from Sneyd.
On fifteen Bureta Faraimo was at the end of a passing move to take a Josh Griffin pass to zig-zag through the defence to ground. Sneyd added the conversion from the touchline and at 14-2 it was already looking ominous for Castleford.
After putting a second successive kick-off out on the full, the Tigers were on the receiving end of the Hull onslaught. Pushing towards the line Connor tapped a Sneyd high kick back into the hands of Albert Kelly to walk in for the third Airlie Birds try. Sneyd was again accurate with the boot and FC were scoring at a point a minute.
The Tigers finally got a four pointer just before the half hour when James Clare took a Mata’utia miss-out pass to go down the wing and dive over. Mata’utia added the touchline conversion for 8-20.
Ratu Naulago prevented Clare from scoring his second try of the night on thirty-eight as he pulled him into touch just short of the line and FC guarded their twelve point lead going into the break.
The first points of the second half came on fifty minutes from the boot of Marc Sneyd with a twenty metre penalty but there followed a twenty minute drought.
It took until the seventieth minute for Mark Minichiello to settle the tie when he stooped to collect a superb Faraimo pass and go five metres to score. Sneyd added a difficult conversion for a 28-8 lead, a step too for the Tigers.
Corey Aston bust the FC line on the twenty and ran the angle for the try as a consolation for his side. Mata’utia couldn’t add the conversion and the Tigers still trailed by 12-28.
Sneyd failed to land a drop goal with sixty seconds left on the clock but it made no difference to the outcome with Hull FC as comfortable winners.
The outcome of the game was never really in any doubt after a lightning fast start from the home side and some awful early errors from the visitors. FC are in the hat for the next round as they seek to make another Challenge Cup final and re-live their glory afternoons of 2016 and 2017. For Daryl Powell it is now four losses on the bounce, and trip to Headingley to look forward to next week.
FC: Kelly (T), Naulago, Logan, Griffin, Faraimo (T), Connor (T), Sneyd (6G), Taylor, Haughton, Paea, Manu, Minichiello (T), Westerman. Subs: Ellis, Green, Hadley, Matongo.
Tigers: Mata’utia (2G), Egodo, Minikin, Blair, Clare (T), Truman, Aston (T), Watts, McShane, Maher, Clarkson, McMeeken, Massey. Subs: Millington, Milner, Sene-Lefao, Cook.
Referee: Rob Hicks.
Half-Time: 20-8.
Full-Time: 28-12.
Attendance: .
