SLACK TIGERS DON’T HALF STRUGGLE

CYCLING

CASTLEFORD coach Daryl Powell said his players joked about giving their fans half their admission money back following a dismal second-half display.

The Tigers were in total control at the interval with a 28-6 lead over injury-hit Giants.

But they were left hanging on for the win after a tremendous Huddersfield fightback. There were echoes of the victory at Leeds, when Castleford led 25-10 at the break and failed to score in the second period.

“It’s a little disappointing,” said Powell. “We had a good chat about it in the changing room. The players are as frustrated as our fans will be and as I am. We talked about giving them half their money back, we’re only giving them 40 minutes of value.”

Castleford scored four tries in a row – including one by Alex Foster (left) – before the Giants replied and interim boss Chris Thorman read the riot act, bringing about a response from his youthful, patched-up side.

“I went ballistic at half-time, it was a crescendo of profanity,” he said. Winger Innes Senior, 17, called up with twin brother Louis in the absence of seven injured regulars, led the comeback with two tries on his home debut. A BELGIAN rider was last night in a “lifethreatening” condition after suffering a cardiac arrest during the Paris-Roubaix Classic.

Michael Goolaerts (right) received CPR at the roadside after crashing.

His team, Verandas Willems-Crelan, said the rider was later taken to hospital and added: “Our thoughts are with his family and friends.” Race director Christian Prudhomme described the 22-yearold’s situation as “very worrying”. World champion Peter Sagan won the 159-mile race – famed for its cobbles – in a sprint from Swiss Silvan Dillier in the Roubaix velodrome.