Tigers crush Quins to book play-off place
Joe Westerman helped himself to 22 points
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By Darren Estwick. |  |
Sunday, 06, Sep 2009 04:37
By Tom Powell.
Castleford Tigers booked their place in the Super League play-offs with an emphatic 48-0 win over Harlequins at The Stoop.
Quins now need Catalan Dragons to lose at St Helens in the last weekend of fixtures to have any hope of making the play-offs.
Two tries in as many minutes from Joe Westerman gave the Tigers a 12-0 half-time lead and the away side added a further seven tries in the second period.
Quins looked every bit like a team who had only won once in ten games as they struggled to get a foothold in the game.
Westerman's first came after 15 minutes, as he barged over from close range after Danny Orr had given away a penalty close to his own line.
The second came a minute later when the stand-off scampered over for his second try to silence the home crowd.
Westerman added both conversions to give his side a 12-0 lead at the break.
The closest the home side came was when Tony Clubb touched down in the corner but the referee spotted a forward pass in the build-up.
The game was over after 57 minutes following four quickfire Tigers tries.
Two minutes into the second half Kirk Dixon went over in the right-hand corner before Mitchell Sargent powered through a lacklustre Quins defence to touch down minutes later.
Westerman completed his hat-trick in the 50th minute with the Quins defence nowhere to be seen and Dean Widders rubbed salt into the wound with another try seven minutes later.
Westerman kicked three of the four conversions to give his side an unassailable 34-0 lead but the visitors weren't finished there.
Liam Higgins strolled over for try number seven with number eight not far behind when Dixon grabbed his second.
Dixon took over the kicking duties and added an extra two points.
Seconds before the hooter sounded Bret Ferres added try number nine to round off a commanding Tigers victory.
In the day's other fixture, Bradford Bulls gave their play-off hopes a major boost by beating Salford City Reds 44-18 at Odsal.