A DREAM CAM TRUE
Scott finally living up to his promise
Hull FC Castleford
CAMERON SCOTT stuck the knife into struggling Castleford with a deadly double – and now it is all aboard the play-off bandwagon for Hull FC.
The 23-year-old centre (below) was rated one of the best young prospects in the game after captaining the England Academy side to a Test series win over Australia Schoolboys, back in 2018.
Yet it is only now, under Tony Smith, that the former Bradford junior is truly establishing himself as a first-team regular with the Black and Whites.
Scott was deployed in the second row yesterday, but showed his growing influence by weighing in with two second-half tries and earning lavish praise from his boss.
Smith also singled out hulking prop Chris Satae and hooker Brad Dwyer, and said: “Cam Scott was terrific again and has been getting better all year – I think he’s growing in confidence.
“He did not play the entire match in the second row but he started there and made a good fist of it.
“Cam then moved to centre through necessity, with the injuries we picked up to Carlos Tuimavave (hamstring), Danny Houghton (abdominal muscle) and Andre Savelio (knee).
“Cam’s a good rugby league player who can adapt to certain positions because he’s a smart young man.
“I’ve played him at wing, centre and second row – he’s looking a real handful with some nice acceleration.
How long was it going to take for him to make it was probably the question – rather than if. He’s just determined.”
After a seventh win in 10 games, Smith played down play-off talk, and added: “Our performance wasn’t outstanding, but let’s just give it our best shot and see where it takes us.”
Loose
In-form winger Adam Swift opened the scoring in the left corner after Davy Litten fielded Jake Trueman’s high kick into his path.
Castleford hit back through Elliot Wallis but Tuimavave went over before the break for Hull’s second.
The scores were neatly tied at 8-8 at half-time but Hull cut loose in the second half. Satae barged over before Swift grabbed his second with a delightful effort which saw him race clear of a leaden-footed Tigers defence.
Jack Broadbent replied for Castleford but Litten’s try and Scott’s well-taken double confirmed the hosts’ superiority before a consolation for Bureta Faraimo – one of six ex-hull men in the visitors’ ranks.
The Tigers fell apart in the second half to set the alarm bells ringing for boss Andy Last, a former Hull player and coach.
Last felt his side allowed Satae’s 43rd-minute score to hurt them mentally, and said: “It was a barge-over try – and very dubious about whether he got it down – but we’ve got to be better in how we react.
“We just aren’t resilient or tough enough mentally to deal with that kind of pressure and mistakes.”
Both teams have next week off due to the Challenge Cup and Last is desperate to bolster his injury-hit squad as soon as possible.
Talks
Last is in talks with Cook Islands international Kayal Iro, 23, and admitted: “Hopefully, we can get it over the line.”
■ WIGAN WARRIORS chairman and co-owner Ian Lenagan will stand down from his role in November.
Lenagan has been in control of Warriors since buying the club from Dave Whelan in 2007.