Castleford Tigers vs Hull FC Predictions: Senior 5/1 to start a mauling at the Jungle

Two of the Betfred Super League's strugglers meet at the Jungle with just three wins between them all season, as Hull FC visit Castleford Tigers on Friday (kick-off 20:00 BST, live on Sky Sports Mix) looking to rebuild their shambolic year following the appointment this week of new head coach John Cartwright for 2025.

The home side this week tied Senior twins Innes and Louis to new deals and have had two weeks to stew on a 60-4 home defeat by St Helens, and the various market moves will be reflected in my Castleford Tigers vs Hull FC predictions.

Team News

Castleford welcome back a handful of key players as Sylvester Namo, Nixon Putt, Samy Kibula and winger Jason Qareqare all return to contention. Making way are Jacob Miller, who picked up an ankle injury, Louis Senior, Fletcher Rooney and Brad Martin.

The Tigers’ hopes will again be pinned on their top tryscorer Innes Senior, while Craig Lingard’s men continue to look a little light in the halves after the departure of Danny Richardson, with Miller sidelined. Tex Hoy could deputise against his former club alongside Rowan Milnes, with Luke Hooley slotting in for Hoy at full-back, although veteran hooker Paul McShane is the other option at half-back.

Former Hull pair Joe Westerman and Liam Watts will both play.

The Black and Whites make four changes as they look to impress their incoming new Australian head coach, although Cartwright won’t take over until next season.

Simon Grix stays in charge and welcomes back forwards Brad Fash and Jack Ashworth, with Harvey Barron also included alongside Ben Reynolds, who looks set for his debut having started the season as Featherstone Rovers captain. Fash suffered an ankle injury against Wigan in pre-season and makes the squad for the first time this year.

Dropping out of the squad are forward Joe Cator with a back injury, youngster Matty Laidlaw and both Franklin Pele and Davy Litten, who have gone out on loan to York Knights.

Castleford Tigers -4.5 @ 5/6

A meeting of two struggling teams isn’t the nicest fixture to call, but it is impossible to back Hull FC at the moment given how rudderless and disjointed they continue to be and I will stick with the Tigers here. I’d go as far as to say Hull are completely unbackable at the moment, and in Craig Lingard Cas still have a shrewd coach despite their own troubles this campaign.

Cas won 29-12 in this home fixture last season and I would expect something similar here.

Innes Senior First Tryscorer @ 5/1

Fresh from his new contract, the flying winger will be the main man again for Cas in this fixture, and such is his form he is only 8/15 to score anytime in this one.

The value therefore is in the big winger to go over first – often a lottery – but the Double Delight offer from Betfred is back for this one so let’s look at Senior to score first at 5/1 (at an implied probability of 16/7%), knowing that if he then scores again in the match (highly likely) we will be looking at double those odds!

I would feel very confident that if Senior does grab the game’s first score, then he will bag another at some point, given he has run in 10 tries in 11 games so far.

Over to you, Innes.

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