Archive July 20, 2025

Betfred Super League

Castleford (12) 20

Tries: Asi, Lawler, Simm Goals: Atkin 4

Warrington (10) 14

Warrington’s Super League play-off ambitions suffered a big blow as they were beaten by struggling Castleford at a rain-lashed Mend-A-Hose Jungle.

Sam Stone’s score put Wire ahead early on, but the hosts hit back to lead 12-6 as Daejarn Asi crossed and George Lawler pounced on a handling mistake to ground.

Jake Thewlis’ try brought Warrington within two points at half-time, but Cas survived mounting pressure and went further ahead through Chris Atkin’s penalty and Josh Simm’s try.

Stefan Ratchford touched town to cut the lead to 20-14 after Alex Mellor’s sin-binning, but third-bottom Castleford held out to give interim head coach Chris Chester his first win.

Following four successive defeats, including back-to-back reverses to the league’s bottom two sides, and without a head coach since Danny McGuire’s dismissal, the omens did not look good when Castleford fell behind within six minutes.

Marc Sneyd’s up and under slipped through Fletcher Rooney’s grasp, and a few plays later Ben Currie sent Stone through for his first Warrington try.

But the home side hit back superbly and within 12 minutes were ahead thanks to some Wire charity.

Lacklustre defence allowed Asi to drag three tacklers over the line to level. And after blowing a two-on-one chance to retake the lead, the visitors trailed when a grubber kick slid past Lachlan Fitzgibbon, allowing Lawler to pounce.

After resisting mounting pressure, Castleford’s defence succumbed moments before the break when the ball was worked quickly out to the left, giving Thewlis space for a fine diving finish.

Cas almost squeezed in a third try before the hooter, but Australian centre Zac Cini’s surge was stopped right on the line.

Warrington restarted with urgency and Rooney only just prevented George Williams from collecting his own chip and chase before a Williams grubber kick to the corner narrowly evaded Thewlis.

Having soaked up the pressure, the home side landed a sucker-punch as Atkin booted them 14-10 ahead before Sneyd spilled the ball in the tackle on halfway and Cas broke away to score, with Simm finishing.

Warrington wanted more than a yellow card for Mellor when his high tackle stopped Thewlis from grounding a certain try

Yet they had hope again 90 seconds later when Ratchford nudged Innes Senior aside to ground Williams’ grubber kick.

Castleford Tigers interim head coach Chris Chester told BBC Radio Leeds:

“I’ve never questioned the players’ efforts. The effort has been really good on the whole, it’s just the belief and the confidence and winning breeds confidence, but on the flip side, when you keep losing you go into your shell a little bit more.

“I thought we were great today. The starting pack was really physical and in these conditions you have to kick the ball well and on the whole I think we did that.”

(On Alex Mellor’s high tackle): “I think a penalty try would have been harsh. I agree with the sin-binning, he’s caught him high.

“I thought we defended our line pretty well when we lost the captain and we just came through at the end.”

Warrington Wolves head coach Sam Burgess:

“It’s becoming very common, the poor decisions.

“I’m really struggling to understand that call, so I’ll ask for clarity (from referees’ chief Phil Bentham) again, and I’ll probably get an email saying, ‘yeah, we got it wrong, it should have been a penalty try, sorry Sam’.

“It’s past the point of frustration. All being said I have to get it on the record, we just weren’t good enough as well.

Castleford: Rooney, Simm, Cini, L Senior, I Senior, Asin, Atkin, Amone, Lawler, Singleton, Simbiken, Mellor, Westerman.

Interchanges: Wood, Griffin, Robb, Stimson.

Sin-bin: Mellor (67).

Warrington: Dufty, Josh Thewlis, Wrench, King, Jake Thewlis, Williams, Sneyd, Yates, Powell, Vaughan, Stone, Fitzgibbon, Currie.

Interchanges: Philbin, Crowther, Irwin, Ratchford.

Betfred Super League

Castleford (12) 20

Tries: Asi, Lawler, Simm Goals: Atkin 4

Warrington (10) 14

Warrington’s Super League play-off ambitions suffered a big blow as they were beaten by struggling Castleford at a rain-lashed Mend-A-Hose Jungle.

Sam Stone’s score put Wire ahead early on, but the hosts hit back to lead 12-6 as Daejarn Asi crossed and George Lawler pounced on a handling mistake to ground.

Jake Thewlis’ try brought Warrington within two points at half-time, but Cas survived mounting pressure and went further ahead through Chris Atkin’s penalty and Josh Simm’s try.

Stefan Ratchford touched town to cut the lead to 20-14 after Alex Mellor’s sin-binning, but third-bottom Castleford held out to give interim head coach Chris Chester his first win.

Following four successive defeats, including back-to-back reverses to the league’s bottom two sides, and without a head coach since Danny McGuire’s dismissal, the omens did not look good when Castleford fell behind within six minutes.

Marc Sneyd’s up and under slipped through Fletcher Rooney’s grasp, and a few plays later Ben Currie sent Stone through for his first Warrington try.

But the home side hit back superbly and within 12 minutes were ahead thanks to some Wire charity.

Lacklustre defence allowed Asi to drag three tacklers over the line to level. And after blowing a two-on-one chance to retake the lead, the visitors trailed when a grubber kick slid past Lachlan Fitzgibbon, allowing Lawler to pounce.

After resisting mounting pressure, Castleford’s defence succumbed moments before the break when the ball was worked quickly out to the left, giving Thewlis space for a fine diving finish.

Cas almost squeezed in a third try before the hooter, but Australian centre Zac Cini’s surge was stopped right on the line.

Warrington restarted with urgency and Rooney only just prevented George Williams from collecting his own chip and chase before a Williams grubber kick to the corner narrowly evaded Thewlis.

Having soaked up the pressure, the home side landed a sucker-punch as Atkin booted them 14-10 ahead before Sneyd spilled the ball in the tackle on halfway and Cas broke away to score, with Simm finishing.

Warrington wanted more than a yellow card for Mellor when his high tackle stopped Thewlis from grounding a certain try

Yet they had hope again 90 seconds later when Ratchford nudged Innes Senior aside to ground Williams’ grubber kick.

Castleford Tigers interim head coach Chris Chester told BBC Radio Leeds:

“I’ve never questioned the players’ efforts. The effort has been really good on the whole, it’s just the belief and the confidence and winning breeds confidence, but on the flip side, when you keep losing you go into your shell a little bit more.

“I thought we were great today. The starting pack was really physical and in these conditions you have to kick the ball well and on the whole I think we did that.”

(On Alex Mellor’s high tackle): “I think a penalty try would have been harsh. I agree with the sin-binning, he’s caught him high.

“I thought we defended our line pretty well when we lost the captain and we just came through at the end.”

Warrington Wolves head coach Sam Burgess:

“It’s becoming very common, the poor decisions.

“I’m really struggling to understand that call, so I’ll ask for clarity (from referees’ chief Phil Bentham) again, and I’ll probably get an email saying, ‘yeah, we got it wrong, it should have been a penalty try, sorry Sam’.

“It’s past the point of frustration. All being said I have to get it on the record, we just weren’t good enough as well.

Castleford: Rooney, Simm, Cini, L Senior, I Senior, Asin, Atkin, Amone, Lawler, Singleton, Simbiken, Mellor, Westerman.

Interchanges: Wood, Griffin, Robb, Stimson.

Sin-bin: Mellor (67).

Warrington: Dufty, Josh Thewlis, Wrench, King, Jake Thewlis, Williams, Sneyd, Yates, Powell, Vaughan, Stone, Fitzgibbon, Currie.

Interchanges: Philbin, Crowther, Irwin, Ratchford.

After team-mate Jess Carter revealed she had been sent racist messages during Euro 2025, England defender Lucy Bronze claims that players are receiving more abuse as the bigger women’s football spreads.

After witnessing “a lot of racial abuse” during the tournament, Carter has said she will stop using social media, and the Football Association has confirmed that it is “working with police to ensure this hate crime is brought to justice.”

The Lionesses will also ban the practice of kneeling before games in protest of racism, saying it was “clear we and football need to find another way to combat racism.”

And Bronze, who has been a fixture in England’s semi-final against Italy, said players have experienced “more abuse” since achieving international success.

The more fans there are, the more noise the game generates, according to Bronze, “but the more the game grows,” said the coin.

“We love the sport, but we’re not open to abuse,” we say. “We’re obviously open to critics.” The abuse online seems to be getting worse, especially in women’s football.

We see it more in the stadiums both in men’s and online, but I believe there is a real target for women’s football.

Before the competition, Sarina Wiegman’s squad met to discuss abuse and how it has grown to be a “huge factor, specifically in women’s football,” according to Bronze.

Alessia Russo, the England striker, mentioned preferring to avoid social media because of how “damaging” the abuse can be before her move to Switzerland.

And Chelsea’s Lauren James, who was subject to racist abuse during the Women’s World Cup and the Women’s Super League season afterward, has remarked that abuse “never really stops.”

Katie Boulter, a British tennis player, was interviewed by BBC Sport about being the subject of online abuse and death threats.

To combat abuse and discrimination, football clubs, players, and sporting organizations launched a four-day boycott of social media platforms in 2021.

Bronze added that she hoped that “noise will be reached around the world” by standing before kick-off rather than kneeling.

“We are aware that those at the top have the power to ultimately implement changes.” But as players, I believe we always have a point, she continued.

“Our voices are loud enough to be heard by people all over the world, whether it’s on social media platforms or in international organizations like Uefa and Fifa.”

We’re very proud as a Lionesses team of having created this voice and a platform to help us reach the heights. We’re willing to make a difference using that voice and platform.

She continued, “People need to be held accountable,” and she also demanded more action from social media platforms.

For her to speak out about racism and bullying in public, team-mate Carter said: “For her to do so is empowering for our entire team in general, especially the likes of Michelle Agyemang, who is in her first tournament.

Carter says, “It gives people more power to be brave, stand up, speak up, and see all the team-mates and the country behind them.” In situations like this, that means a lot.

Many players are aware that this has always been a problem in the game of football. We are all so disappointed that supposedly devoted fans wrote these messages as Jess did yesterday.