Qareqare Hat-trick Fires Castleford Past Bradford

ByChris Harby
BBC Sport England


26 March 2026


17 Comments


Betfred Super League


Castleford (22) 40


Tries: Qareqare 3, McIntosh 2, Lawler, Weaver Goals: Weaver 6


Bradford (16) 28


Tries: Marsters 2, Mellor, Hooley Goals: Hooley 6


Jason Qareqare's hat-trick motivated a marvelous turn-around as Castleford beat Bradford 40-28 at the OneBore Stadium to protect a 2nd Super League win of the season.


The lead altered hands 4 times in a first half as Qareqare's treble and Darnell McIntosh's rating, responding to tries from Esan Marsters and Joe Mellor, edged Cas 22-16 ahead at the break.


Having trailed by four points with 2 minutes of the first half left, quick ratings from George Lawler, Tom Weaver and McIntosh's second took the hosts 24 points clear within 10 minutes of the reboot.


Luke Hooley crossed on the hour as he completed with 16 points, however Bulls' resurgence hopes fell short as Waqa Blake's rating was ruled out before Marsters got a late 2nd.


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In a rematch of both sides' first-ever Super League clash - to open the league's 30-year anniversary events - Castleford avenged that 30-18 defeat to claim successive home league wins for the very first time considering that April 2024 and climb to 11th.


Smarting from a humbling 72-6 defeat at Warrington, Cas fell back inside 100 seconds as Marsters pinched a crossfield kick from McIntosh's grasp and dropped over the line.


The hosts reacted in kind with their first belongings, working the ball quickly out to the left touchline for Qareqare to sprint in from close quarters.


Ill discipline enabled Hooley to boot the Bulls back ahead with two quick penalties before the Tigers hit the front for the very first time with an almost identical score as fast hands developed an overlap on the left edge for Qareqare to tear in once again.


The Cas lead lasted just seven minutes as Jayden Nikorima and Ed Chamberlain gave Mellor an easy run in, however the Bulls were stunned by two shots in as lots of minutes on the stroke of half-time.


McIntosh went in at the right corner to level, and running the last play of the very first duration from deep inside their own half, Krystian Mapapalangi this time offered Qareqare a longer diminish the left touchline to complete his hat-trick.


Yet this was just a cup of the havoc to come as Qareqare triggered more carnage directly after the break.


The winger's run required a penalty from which Lawler would add a 3rd Cas try in 5 minutes, twisting in the deal with and going for the line.


The chastened Bulls continued to decrease as Weaver's show-and-go took him through 2 takes on and under the posts before Zac Cini gave McIntosh a walk-in at the ideal corner.


Bulls worked the ball through the hands to give Hooley an overlap on the right before persistent defence saw Castleford push back 3 successive repeat sets as the visitors battled for a way back.


Nerves looked set to jangle as Blake finished another slick Bradford attack which would have cut the result in 14 points with 12 minutes left.


But video referee Liam Rush found an offside, eventually making Marsters' second score a consolation and consigning fifth-placed Bradford to a third away Super League defeat.


'We didn't let obstacles get to us' - Castleford reaction


Castleford Tigers head coach Ryan Carr told BBC Radio Leeds:


"It was another night where we had hardship early, conceding a try off a bomb, then we lose Semi Valemei to another head knock - that's our 5th in 3 weeks.


"We needed to reshuffle the whole ideal edge for the whole of the 2nd half and I thought they did a wonderful job.


"We didn't let the obstacles get to us this week, which is something we discussed a lot. If we didn't review the video game appropriately and go harsh on ourselves from last week we would not probably have responded because method.


"I'm actually proud and happy for the gamers. We've all had a difficult week and I'm simply delighted to see them smiling and proud of their performance."


'It will be a big learning curve' - Bradford reaction


Bradford Bulls head coach Kurt Haggerty informed BBC Radio Leeds:


"We have a very dissatisfied bunch of guys in the dressing space, but we're a brand name new group and we'll proceed.


"If you score 28 points in a Super League video game, you need to win the video game, but eventually we just didn't get it right methodically on edges.


"It will be a big learning curve for us because we have actually not really faced that yet, but we'll repair it up and we'll improve.


"I have actually got a very academic lot of males so we'll take a look at it, we'll fix it, we'll issue solve and move on from it."


Castleford: Cini, Valemei, McIntosh, Mapapalangi, Qareqare, Asi, Weaver, Atoni, Forber, Westerman, Lane, Hirst, Lawler.


Interchanges: Greacen, Doolan, Hall, Beckett.


Bradford: Aekins, Hooley, Marsters, Blake, Ryan, Nikorima, Milnes, Sutton, Ackers, Lewis, Chamberlain, Ruan, Mellor.


Interchanges: Atkin, Ormondroyd, Hallas, Steinwede.


Referee: J. Vella.


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Castleford Tigers


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