Faraimo’s double sinks Leeds and gives Castleford first Super League win

Bureta Faraimo scored two crucial tries to help Castleford Tigers secure a first victory of the new Super League season at the fifth attempt, and boost interim coach Andy Last’s chances of securing the role full-time.

Last is in caretaker charge after the dismissal of Lee Radford just three games into the new season, and he will have done his chances of being permanently appointed no harm here after the Tigers ground out a hard-earned victory against their local rivals, Leeds Rhinos, whose inconsistent start to 2023 continued here with a disappointing display.

Leeds’ preparations were stunted pre-match following speculation their hooker, Kruise Leeming, was about to leave the club just a month into the new season, with reports suggesting Leeming had requested a release to secure an opportunity elsewhere. And that seemed to be a distraction initially for the Rhinos, who started much the slower of the two sides.

And after several near-misses in attack, Castleford eventually made the Rhinos pay for their sluggish start when slick handling to the right freed Faraimo, who crossed in the corner to nudge the hosts ahead by four points at the end of the first quarter.

The Rhinos responded well to that early setback, though. And they moved ahead for the first time when Aidan Sezer freed Cameron Smith, with Richie Myler supporting in expert fashion to give Rhyse Martin a simple conversion from in front of the posts and put Leeds 6-4 ahead before Gareth Widdop levelled with a penalty.

However, the Rhinos would take a slender lead into the interval. They turned down the option to go for goal on two occasions in the final minutes of the first half but when a third opportunity presented itself, Martin obliged to make it 8-6.

But with