Qareqare hat-trick helps Cas to derby win over Bulls

Betfred Super League

Castleford (22) 40

Tries: Qareqare 3, McIntosh 2, Lawler, Weaver Goals: Weaver 6

Bradford (16) 28

Tries: Marsters 2, Mellor, Hooley Goals: Hooley 6

Jason Qareqare's hat-trick inspired a sensational turnaround as Castleford beat Bradford 40-28 at the OneBore Stadium to secure a second Super League win of the season.

The lead changed hands four times in a frantic first half as Qareqare's treble and Darnell McIntosh's score, replying to tries from Esan Marsters and Joe Mellor, edged Cas 22-16 ahead at the break.

Having trailed by four points with two minutes of the first half left, rapid scores from George Lawler, Tom Weaver and McIntosh's second took the hosts 24 points clear within 10 minutes of the restart.

Luke Hooley crossed on the hour as he finished with 16 points, but Bulls' comeback hopes fell short as Waqa Blake's score was ruled out before Marsters grabbed a late second.

In a rematch of both sides' first-ever Super League clash - to open the league's 30-year anniversary celebrations - Castleford avenged that 30-18 defeat to claim successive home league wins for the first time since April 2024 and climb up to 11th.

Smarting from a humbling 72-6 defeat at Warrington, Cas fell behind inside 100 seconds as Marsters pinched a crossfield kick from McIntosh's grasp and dropped over the line.

The hosts responded in kind with their first possession, working the ball quickly out to the left touchline for Qareqare to sprint in from close range.

Ill discipline allowed Hooley to boot the Bulls back ahead with two quick penalties before the Tigers hit the front for the first time with an almost identical score as quick hands created an overlap on the left edge for Qareqare to tear in again.

The Cas lead lasted just seven minutes as Jayden Nikorima and Ed Chamberlain gave Mellor a simple run in, but the Bulls were stunned by two tries in as many minutes on the stroke of half-time.

McIntosh went in at the right corner to level, and running the last play of the first period from deep inside their own half, Krystian Mapapalangi this time gave Qareqare a longer run down the left touchline to complete his hat-trick.

Yet this was just a taster of the havoc to come as Qareqare caused more carnage straight after the break.

The winger's run forced a penalty from which Lawler would add a third Cas try in five minutes, twisting in the tackle and stretching for the line.

The chastened Bulls continued to subside as Weaver's show-and-go took him through two tackles and under the posts before Zac Cini gave McIntosh a walk-in at the right corner.

Bulls worked the ball through the hands to give Hooley an overlap on the right before stubborn defence saw Castleford repel three successive repeat sets as the visitors fought for a way back.

Nerves looked set to jangle as Blake finished another slick Bradford attack which would have cut the lead to 14 points with 12 minutes left.

But video referee Liam Rush spotted an offside, ultimately making Marsters' second score a consolation and consigning fifth-placed Bradford to a third away Super League defeat.

Castleford Tigers head coach Ryan Carr told BBC Radio Leeds:

"It was another night where we had adversity early, conceding a try off a bomb, then we lose Semi Valemei to another head knock - that's our fifth in three weeks.

"We had to reshuffle the whole right edge for the whole of the second half and I thought they did a fantastic job.

"We didn't let the setbacks get to us this week, which is something we spoke about a lot. If we didn't review the game properly and go harsh on ourselves from last week we wouldn't probably have responded in that way.

"I'm really proud and happy for the players. We've all had a tough week and I'm just happy to see them smiling and proud of their performance."

Bradford Bulls head coach Kurt Haggerty told BBC Radio Leeds:

"We have a very disappointed bunch of men in the dressing room, but we're a brand new group and we'll move on.

"If you score 28 points in a Super League game, you should win the game, but ultimately we just didn't get it right systematically on edges.

"It will be a big learning curve for us because we've not really faced that yet, but we'll fix it up and we'll improve.

"I've got a very studious bunch of men so we'll look at it, we'll fix it, we'll problem solve and move on from it."

Castleford: Cini, Valemei, McIntosh, Mapapalangi, Qareqare, Asi, Weaver, Atoni, Forber, Westerman, Lane, Hirst, Lawler.

Interchanges: Greacen, Doolan, Hall, Beckett.

Bradford: Aekins, Hooley, Marsters, Blake, Ryan, Nikorima, Milnes, Sutton, Ackers, Lewis, Chamberlain, Ruan, Mellor.

Interchanges: Atkin, Ormondroyd, Hallas, Steinwede.

Referee: J. Vella.