Tanginoa scores four as Wire hammer sorry Castleford
Kelepi Tanginoa scored four tries as rampant Warrington Wolves thrashed Castleford Tigers to keep their 100% Super League record intact. The big Australian forward had previously not scored a hat-trick in his senior career, and his quadruple came after Matty Ashton marked his return from a long-term injury lay-off with the first two tries before completing his own hat-trick late in the game. Wolves were irresistible at the Halliwell Jones Stadium as Ben Currie (two), Albert Hopoate, Sam Stone and James Harrison also went over and 18-year-old half-back Ewan Irwin, preferred to veteran Marc Sneyd, kicked 12 out of 14 attempts.
The win takes Warrington second in the table behind leaders Wigan Warriors, who have played a game more and are the only other side to have won every game they have played. Lipowicz double as Catalans pile misery on Hull KR Much has been made of the competitive nature of Super League this season, but this was an old-fashioned, one-sided thrashing from start to finish, as Wolves completed their first 36 sets and threw in some moments of real flair. Cas, who lost Jack Ashworth and Joe Stimson for head injury assessments in the first few minutes - with Stimson staying off for the rest of the game, could not cope with Wire's ruck speed and pace out wide.
Ashton, out for 10 months after damaging anterior cruciate ligaments, added to Irwin's two penalties with two tries inside 15 minutes, leaving Cas wing Mikaele Ravalawa standing for the second. That left side of the Wire attack was running riot and when the Tigers over-compensated it left Currie with space to go over underneath the posts before Semi Valemei showed a good leap and some strength to score the visitors' only try. Normal service was quickly resumed as Tanginoa collected a George Williams grubber for his first try and then bounced Tom Weaver to clear a path to the try-line for his second.
Tanginoa, who won three trophies with Hull KR last season, completed his hat-trick three minutes after half-time before Hopoate sprinted 60 metres for another. Currie raced clear to pile on the misery for Cas, and Tanginoa made it four tries for himself, arriving like a thunderbolt onto Williams' pass after a sublime offload from Jordan Crowther. The sin-binning of Toby King made no difference to Wolves as Josh Thewlis' break set up Stone for another try while they were down to 12 men.
And, after King returned, Harrison grabbed his first try of the season and Ashton completed his own triumphant return with his third after showing good dribbling skills. With Irwin, who kept his place after kicking 13 goals last week against Goole Vikings in the Challenge Cup, claiming 24 points of his own, it meant Warrington had recorded the biggest win over Castleford in their history. "It was very clean.