MUDHOUSE! Clark overcomes crazy conditions to help end Cas run
DARYL CLARK provided the sparkle and smarts in the mud as Warrington overcame “wretched” conditions to end Castleford’s winning run.
Hooker Clark was the best player on the field even before his last-minute try sealed a gritty win for the Wolves, in a game played with huge amounts of water on areas of the pitch.
Those puddles, steam coming off every scrum and the players caked in an inch of mud provided a throwback to the days of winter rugby rather than an Easter Bank Holiday exhibition.
The visitors managed the adversity marginally better, although both sides should be commended on their performances in the circumstances.
Wolves coach Steve Price said: “I spoke to Chris Hill and he said he’d never played in conditions like that before.
“It was a quagmire out there – it was tough going.
“Overall it was a good spectacle and we had to play well against a quality football team.
“It was wretched conditions, but our completion rate was 83 per cent and we stayed in the fight when the game swung in the back end.”
On hooker Clark, Price added: “He was outstanding and has been really consistent for us.
“I thought he was super today and the players are starting to understand his strengths.”
Postponing the game would have been another blow for the Tigers, who are already two matches behind Warrington due to previous cancellations. Coach Daryl Powell admitted: “We had to play today, we couldn’t fit another one in.
“With the way the season is now with the Super 8s there’s limited time to get the fixtures played.” After two Stefan Ratchford penalties, the Wolves went in at half-time 10-0 ahead courtesy of the best move of the game in the heaviest area of the pitch, centre Toby King providing a splashing finish.
Castleford were back in the contest when Oliver Holmes touched down, but the game hinged on a disallowed try to Jake Webster for kicking the ball out of Ratchford’s hands with the score at 6-12.
Powell added: “I thought we got some tough calls today.
“I’m not sure he (Ratchford) fully had it in his hands and I’d need to see it back – it’s a tough call that would have put the game right back in the mix.
“But I’m not blaming anybody but ourselves and a good performance from Warrington.”