Injury-hit Castleford in Cup exit to Warriors
IN the grand scheme of things, a Challenge Cup quarter-final defeat to the best club side in the world with an injury-ravaged squad is not a disaster.
Craig Lingard, however, would have been expecting more energy and enthusiasm from his Castleford Tigers team.
Wigan Warriors did not have to work particularly hard for their tries, all 12 of them after quickly taking the quarter-final tie away from the Tigers.
The defending Super League champions were 22-0 up and out of sight inside the opening quarter thanks to a Liam Marshall double either side of tries from Brad O'Neill and Bevan French.
Adam Keighran soon got in on the act before Castleford clawed back some respectability towards the end of the half, Innes Senior touching down to add to his four tries in the win over Salford Red Devils.
The Tigers were never likely to build on their first Super League victory of the campaign and repeat their quarter-final success against
Wigan 10 years ago in the absence of a dozen injured players but it was men against boys in the Wheldon Road sunshine.
The second half followed the pattern of the first, Abbas Miski and Kruise Leeming crossing before Marshall added two more to take his tally to four.
Miski scored his second after Jake Wardle cruised over and there was a late try for Tyler Dupree to complete the rout.
Wigan progress to yet another semi-final but tougher challenges lie ahead for the 2022 winners after a routine victory in West Yorkshire.
Castleford could take positives from their performance against the Warriors in round one of Super League, a game overshadowed by Liam Watts' first-half red card.
But they barely laid a glove on the world club champions on Sunday afternoon to highlight the gulf between the two clubs.
The Tigers were able to trade blows with Wigan not so long ago but they are a club in the early stages of a rebuild under Lingard.
While their season will not be defined by this result, there were worrying signs for Lingard.
The writing was on the wall from the moment Marshall took advantage of passive defending to go over in the corner just four minutes in.
It soon got worse for the home side, O'Neill slicing through with worrying ease before exchanging passes with Keighran to touch down.
The travelling supporters were already singing about Wembley as Harry Smith knocked over his first conversion of the afternoon to put Wigan 10-0 up in double-quick time.
Senior got a hand to French's long pass to deny Miski a certain try and Keighran's pass landed behind the winger as the Warriors pushed for a third try.
Wigan did not have to wait much longer, French stripping the ball from Jack Broadbent to jog clear and score.
There was no let-up from the Warriors as they put their beleaguered hosts to the sword. Marshall added his second after Wardle showed a clean pair of heels to burn Danny Richardson on the outside before Field found Keighran in acres of space for the easiest of tries.
Senior was denied a length-ofthe-field effort by French's brilliant try-saving tackle but Wigan were helpless to prevent the winger from touching down Broadbent's neat kick in behind.
In between times, Warriors backrower Willie Isa was stretchered off with a serious-looking leg injury after a long delay in a concern for the visitors.
The half-time hooter came at a bad time for Castleford with normal service quickly resumed following the restart.
Field put Miski over for his first try before Leeming backed up Junior Nsemba's break to add his name to the scoresheet.
Marshall forced his way over to complete his hat-trick and had another thanks to French's superb pass.
The Tigers failed to issue any kind of response and conceded three more tries, Wardle breaking clear straight from a scrum before Miski
demonstrated his athleticism to add the finishing touches to another classy French pass.
Dupree had the final word following a smart piece of play by Smith to round off a worryingly easy win for Wigan from a Castleford perspective ahead of Friday's Super League rematch at the DW Stadium. Castleford Tigers: Broadbent, Hodson, Tasipale, Wood, Senior, Richardson, Miller, Johnson, Horne, Kibula, Mellor, El-Zakhem, Westerman. Substitutes: Namo, Robb, Martin, Hindmarsh-Takyi.
Wigan Warriors: Field, Miski, Keighran, Wardle, Marshall, French, Smith, Thompson, O'Neill, Dupree, Isa, Farrell, Ellis. Substitutes: Mago, Leeming, Hill, Nsemba.
Referee: Liam Moore.
■ Keighley Cougars beat North Wales Crusaders 22-6 in League One.
Billy Walkley ran in two tries, with other touchdowns from Alex Bishop and Lewis Hatton.