League leaders and Challenge Cup finalists Hull FC looked to maintain their top of the table form with a win over sixth placed Castleford Tigers.

Honours had been shared in the two games so far this season with a win apiece, both getting the two points on their travels, but FC were the big favourites with the bookies.

Much of the attention was on Rangi Chase, back in Castleford colours for the first time in three years after being their inspiration from 2009-2013.

It was a sensational start for the visitors. On four minutes Denny Solomona diffused a bomb on his own ten metre line, avoided the tackle and went eighty metres before being tackled. Three plays later and Solomona offloaded to Greg Minikin who danced through four FC tacklers to ground by the corner flag. Luke Gale failed to add the extras.

On eighteen Luke Dorn was held up over the line but a fast play the ball saw the Tigers spread play wide left and Ryan Hampshire found an acre of space on the overlap to outwit the tacklers and score. Gale converted brilliantly from the touchline and it was Castleford who looked like the league leaders.

Five minutes later and a miracle offload from Minikin, at the end of an extensive passing play, allowed Luke Gale to pick up the loose ball and scamper over. Gale failed with the conversion but it was 14-0 and there was only one team in the game.

On twenty-seven FC had a try ruled out when Tuimavave was adjudged to have been offside chasing a high ball. Castleford streamed downfield from the resulting penalty and Luke Dorn found a massive gap to score Castleford fourth. When Gale added the extras it was 20-0, the home support stunned.

Thirteen minutes into the second half and Rangi Chase was the provider with a fantastic pass from his knees to put Ryan Hampshire over for his second of the night. Luke Gale hit the far upright with the conversion attempt but Hull now needed five converted tries and twenty-five minutes in which to get them.

With eighteen minutes left FC finally got on the scoreboard when Jordan Abdull put Steve Michaels over on the overlap, but when Marc Sneyd missed the penalty it was still a very long way back for Hull.

On seventy a Houghton 40-20 marched FC downfield and four plays later Danny Washbrook found his way through a gap to score as the Tigers defence tired. Sneyd was accurate with the boot and Hull were now into double figures at 10-24.

On seventy-three Jamie Shaul went under the sticks and gave Sneyd a simple conversion to reduce the margin to just eight points.

But Castleford had the last laugh when a fast play-the-ball saw Adam Milner pick up the ball from dummy half and scamper over under the sticks giving Gale a simple conversion for a final scoreline of 30-16.

It was a decent enough fightback by a tired Hull FC but the outcome of the game was never in any doubt. With the exception of a twelve minute spell during which FC scored their sixteen points, the Tigers bossed the game and made Hull look somewhat second rate. A massive 60-12 win for Wigan at home to Wakefield lifted them level on points with Hull but still trailing them on points difference.

FC: Shaul (T), Michaels (T), Tuimavave, Yeaman, Naughton, Abdull, Sneyd (2G), Taylor, Houghton, Bowden, Pritchard, Manu, Ellis. Subs: Green, Thompson, Minicheillo, Washbrook (T).

Tigers: Dorn (T), Hampshire (2T), Crooks, Minikin (T), Solomona, Chase, Gale (T, 3G), Springer, Milner (T), Patrick, Holmes, Savelio, Moors. Subs: Jewitt, McShane, Cook, Millington.

Referee: Jack Smith.

Attendance: