Jordan Rankin of Castleford Tigers tackles Hakim Miloudi of Toronto Wolfpack during the Michael Shenton testimonial on January 19, 2020 in Castleford, England. It may have only been a preseason game, but all eyes were on the Canadian upstarts on Sunday as they played against the Castleford Tigers, widely considered one of the better teams in the Betfred Super League.AARON BARWELL/Getty Images
What a wonderful baptism of fire this was for the Toronto Wolfpack.
It may have only been a preseason game, but all eyes were on the Canadian upstarts on Sunday as they played against the Castleford Tigers, widely considered one of the better teams in the Betfred Super League.
The Tigers made the playoffs last year, winning their first postseason game, too, before losing to the Salford Reds in the semi-finals. And this match was played at their home ground, Mend-A-Hose Jungle stadium in West Yorkshire.
But despite their advantages and lofty reputation, they fell behind early against the Canadian-based team, and, try as they might, they were thwarted, with Toronto emerging with a solid 16-10 win.
Now, let’s look at this in perspective.
Ever since Toronto waltzed its way through the second-tier Betfred Championship last year and thus qualified to play in the Betfred Super League, which is the world’s second-strongest rugby league championship (Australian’s NRL is the hardest), there has been an unrelenting hue and cry about the legitimacy of this new club.
And with that came a very robust, almost manic desire based on draconian principles and tradition to not allow it into the Betfred Super league.
So Sunday’s win, although just a preseason contest, has upset a good few in England. It’s wounded many reputations and infuriated the establishment probably as much as U.S. President Donald Trump upsets the Democratic Party faithful.
Toronto scored early in the first half when its Australian-born captain Josh McCrone darted toward the opposition line before sending the sweetest of passes to fullback Gareth O’Brien, who ran through a yawning gap to score. He converted his own try and the first shot in anger had been fired.
The Wolfpack led 6-0.
The deficit was clawed back by a determined and rugged Tigers outfit, which, like the Wolfpack, boasted a sprinkling of former NRL players.
By halftime, it was 6-6 with both reputations and history to play for.
The intensity was surprising for a preseason game, which traditionally means nothing at all when the regular season starts on February 2. But, coincidentally, Toronto plays Castleford in that opening, historic match.
Despite this game’s lack of real meaning, though, when Castleford scored a try 10 minutes into the second half, it seemed all of England erupted in joy. Tyla Hepi, a newcomer to the Tigers, offloaded to Danny Richardson, who cleverly stepped his way through the Wolfpack defence to find former NRL star Sosaia Feki unmarked and he did the rest, scoring out wide.
Feki played in the NRL for the Cronulla Sharks the past few years, alongside the Wolfpack’s marquee player, Ricky Leutele, who left Cronulla last season to join Toronto. They are very close friends.
This gave Castleford the lead, but the Wolfpack roared straight back.
Joe Mellor scored for Toronto three minutes later and it was converted by Blake Wallace to give the visitors a 12-10 lead.
It stayed that way with both sides unloading gladiatorial hits on each other until Wallace scored out wide. The conversion was missed, but the damage was done.
The scoreline was 16-10 in Toronto’s favour and it remained that way until the end.
History had been made. The Wolfpack growled and the entire rugby league world, from Toronto to England, France and even Down Under, heard it.
Special to The Globe and Mail